Cursing a Horseshoe's Luck
by rhapsodizing riyoko
Summary: CHAPTER 10 UPLOADED! Class Q is sent on a wild ride down the countryside when a warning letter threatens to shut down a very prestigious and wealthy polo club. Includes an OC as a member of Class Q.
1. New Case, Old Counterpart

**Another mystery up my sleeve. I'm back, everyone. College keeps me busy, but I can't abandon fanfiction. I'll tell you all that Nine Circles of Hell may not have been one of my best works. I left it too long and it was hard for me to end and everything. **

**The fifth story in a series of fanfiction involving Detective School Q and my OC, Shizuko; Cursing a Horseshoe's Luck sets Class Q on a wild ride down the countryside as a master thief begins stealing prize horses from a well-known polo club.**

**Summary: After the encounter with the Nine Circles of Hell, Class Q has just been assigned another case—a disturbingly high-profile one at a Polo Club out in the countryside. What starts out a simple missing-horse case turns foul when a stable boy is found dead a few nights later. **

**Shizuko, once the "new girl" of Class Q, is now almost a full-fledged member at this point, and this makes it harder for her to handle memories of her old past, especially when it makes itself known by an unexpected appearance of one of her old "partners-in-crime".**

**disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q. This is called a FANfic for a reason: it's made by a fan with no intent of profiting off of it. **

* * *

**Chapter One: New Case, Old Counterpart**

"How could YOU have known that!"

Meg was towering over Kyu, hands on hips. "Have you been tailing with Kinta again?"

Kyu was shrinking lower and lower by the minute. "No, I was alone."

"And I suppose it was just MERE COINCIDENCE that you happened to be passing by when it happened?" Meg's voice was rising both in pitch and in volume.

It was a typical afternoon in DDS. Class Q was simply waiting in their classroom for their adviser, Hongou-sensei to appear. However, he seemed to be a little late in arriving, and Kyu had, in a display of utter foolishness, taken the moment to tell Meg about a certain underwear design he'd "accidentally" seen her wear the other day.  
His story was that he'd simply been passing by when he'd seen her on her way home. He'd witnessed her trip over a curb, and…

Well, the rest was self-explanatory.

Meg wouldn't hear of it—she insisted that Kyu had been following her just for that petty reason.

Ryuu and Shizuko, sitting at another side of the classroom, winced.

Kazuma was completely unaffected as he continued to type away on his computer. Kinta as well, although you tell that he was very amused at the "lovebirds".

Well, the others remained unaffected until Meg decided to launch a hardcover book as ammunition. At which case everyone decided to get out of their seats and out of the line of fire.

"You'd think Megumi would be used to this by now," Shizuko muttered as she ducked under a desk. She peeked out for a second, and a sudden blur whizzed by. Ryu quickly caught the book spinning dangerously in their direction. It had apparently ricocheted off Kyu's head. "Megumi's aim has improved," Ryu remarked, setting down the now-harmless volume.   
Shizuko grimaced. "I hate to see what her aim was like when it wasn't improved."

Kinta joined their conversation. "It's something that nobody should have the honor of witnessing."

"Class Q!" a familiar thundering voice echoed through the room.

Meg halted in mid-strike, and Kyu froze, his arms raised in a useless effort to defend himself. The others were torn whether to sigh in relief or to freeze in terror as well. Ryu settled for putting on his stoic expression, while Shizuko followed suit.

Kinta and Kazuma opted for freezing in terror.

Their teacher entered the room. "That's better. Sit!"

Almost like well-trained dogs, the students scrambled into their seats.

"Is that your way of disciplining students, Hongou?" Nanami-sensei commented with a grin as he sauntered in, bringing with him no other than Morihiko Dan, the founder and principal of Dan Detective School. Dan-sensei simply looked amused, while Hongou-sensei fumed a little.

Class Q quickly stood up to bow in respect, but their principal waved at them casually, indicating that he wanted them to relax. "DDS has just been given another case," he announced. "And this time, it's quite imperative that we look into this AND solve it with as little casualty as possible."

"What seems to be the problem, sir?" Kyu piped up, interested.

"Well, here are the details. First of all, I assume that you've heard of the Kajawara Polo Club?"

Megumi gave a start. "That exclusive polo club out in the countryside?"

"The one and the same. Many of its members are rich and prestigious individuals, ranging from distinguished politicians to known celebrities. There are also foreigners staying at the club, because of its popularity. It's become an obvious choice."

"Wasn't there a new club springing up nearby?" Shizuko questioned. "Saigo Country Club?"

"Yes, precisely. It's been causing a bit of an issue, but that's another story. Of course, having heard of the two clubs, do you know of their prize horse?"

"Yes," Megumi quickly supplied. "Seimei; he's won several races, as well as some other miscellaneous contests."

"Very good. You've been keeping an eye on the papers," Dan-sensei said admiringly. "Well, there has been a threatening letter sent to the owner of the club. They were ordered to give up their entry into the upcoming contest or else they would make sure that their prize horse would suffer."

"In addition," continued Nanami-sensei, "The threats come with a strange symbol, obviously the MO, or _modus operandi_, of the perpetrator." He made a quick sketch on the blackboard of a horseshoe with it's open end facing down. "Do any of you understand what it means?"

Shizuko nodded. "A horseshoe usually means good luck, but only if you hang or illustrate it with its open end facing upward. but when it faces downward, it will give you bad luck."

"That's correct," said Nanami-sensei. "That symbol was found on the warning note."  
"That sounds bad," Kyu remarked, putting a hand to his chin in thought. "But I doubt that Seimei is the only horse they're after—don't stables usually have plenty of different horses?"

"Exactly. Some time after the threatening letter was delivered, one of their horses went missing. Kammei, one of their show horses. Not only that, but a piece of paper with the symbol of the bad luck horseshoe was stuck into the wood of the stall using a small knife."

"It looks like they're serious," said Ryuu in a quiet tone. "But they haven't taken Seimei yet, so they must have other tricks up their sleeves."

"That's their worry. Class Q, I want you to take on this case. A high profile case needs the best that DDS has to offer. What do you say?"

"I say, we—"

"Wait just one second!"

Class Q turned to the sudden familiar tone. Yukihira Sakurako, the niece of Principal Dan himself, was situated at their classroom door, looking particularly spiteful.

Standing behind her were the rest of the members of Class A, namely; Shiramine Hayato, Gouda Kyousuke, Shishido Takeshi, and Touya Kuniko (who cast a shy glance in Ryuu's direction). Last, and definitely the least, was Yutaka Saburoumaru, who came bounding up behind them like the usual idiot that he was.

"Nice of you to drop by," Shizuko said dryly, and Yukihira sent a glare in her direction. She marched straight towards her uncle, who looked slightly bewildered at their appearance.

"Principal, you don't really intend to let Class Q take on this case? After all, we're still the better class! And they're all amateurs; they won't even fit in at the country club!"

"Who are you calling amateurs?" Kinta suddenly exploded, stepping forward ready for a brawl.

"See what I mean?" Yuki insisted, proving her point. "Dan-sensei, you can't let them go, they'll ruin DDS's reputation with their incapability to act mature!"

Now even the calm and composed Ryuu looked slightly insulted. "Are you suggesting that we don't have a sense of honor enough to keep from tainting DDS's reputation?" he asked with a dark look.

"I never said that."

"That was what you suggested," Kyu said, jumping into action. "Dan-sensei, we're accepting this case!"

"No way, Class A is a lot more refined than any of you are."

"Excuse me?" Kazuma exclaimed. "I'll have you know that my lifestyle is more refined than any of you and I can prove it with a simple peek into your records," he said, opening his laptop threateningly.

Shiramine stepped in. "Okay, more refined than some of you, but that's not the point—we deserve this case!"

"You just want to sit around at an expensive club!" Kinta shot at them accusingly.

"We're going for the case, idiot!" Yukihira snapped, her cheeks flaming in anger.

"If you think you're good enough for the case, then so are we!" said Megumi, stepping forward. "We're nowhere underneath your standards!"

"We think that being sent on a high-profile case such as this one means that we should also have a sense of refinement—you have to know how to handle things professionally!" Shishido Takeshi had spoken up, stepping into the room. The space was quickly getting crowded.

"We can handle things professionally!" Kinta shouted, raising a fist in a challenging manner.

"Oh right, and yelling is very professional," Gouda put in.

"Hey, you guys are responsible for half this conversation, you're not the only ones being unprofessional," pointed out Shizuko.

"Hey, you can't say that to us!" Saburoumarou burst out, elbowing his way to the front. "I'll have you know that I have—"

"—an IQ of 180, yes, we all know. You don't have any other redeeming qualities," she said with a snicker.

"Shut up, brat," snarled Yukihira, "This doesn't involve you."

"Am I or am I not a member of the class you're going against?" Shizuko snapped back rather angrily.

"As far as we're concerned you're not a big factor," Shiramine said airily. "It's the others we're, shall we say, _concerned_ about."

"Well, fine by me," muttered Shizuko, picking up her things. "Since you guys get along so well, I am not going to interfere."

Class A didn't even make a move against her as she walked out the classroom door, past Principal Dan and the teachers. The rest of Class Q looked rather stunned, but quickly got back into the rhythm of the argument.

"We were assigned this case first!"

"That doesn't matter, the polo club will take one look at you and chuck you out!"

"We'll see about that when we get there! And what makes_ you_ think that they won't be apprehensive of you?"

"We have a lot more self-control than any of you do!"

"Says the person who exploded just for a chance in the case!"

The debate was about to escalate to a whole new level, but a powerful voice interrupted them.

"Silence, all of you!"

Nothing else could have made the students stop their yells. They all turned to the source of the voice—Dan-sensei himself.

"Class A, as much as I respect you for your skills and have great confidence in your abilities, a high profile case deserves the best—regardless of refinement and what you consider maturity. What gets the job done is much more important. And speaking of maturity, don't you think it would be a lot more mature to accept the things that have been given to you rather than trying to argue for something above your position?"  
Yuki hung her head. "Yes, sir. We're sorry," she mumbled. She turned to leave the room, taking the rest of Class A with her.  
With a heavy sigh, the principal turned to Class Q. "Like I said earlier, I've assigned this case to you, class Q. All I ask for is that you don't disappoint me by letting me know that I've made the wrong decision. What I want you to do first is take down these details, and then contact your other classmate, Shizuko. I'm afraid that Class A's interference may have caused her to distance herself from you."

"Yes, sir," they chorused, while Megumi added, "I'll contact her. I'll remember the details by heart."

Their teacher nodded in approval. "Very well. Now, as I was saying, you'll be going to the Polo Club. To get there, you have to take a bus from the city, and then travel by foot until you reach a certain inn. Someone will pick you up from there in a limousine, our client, Mr. Sakagami. He'll give you more details, and you're free to question him for any other information you find important."

"Sir, about the new club that was up and coming next to it," Kyu began, "Do we have any information?"

"Not much. The Saigo country club has been around for less than a year, so it hasn't been popular, and next to the Kajawara Polo club it's business has been very poor."

"Is it possible that Saigo is behind all this, to make Kajawara go out of business?" Kazuma asked, typing the other information in his laptop.

"Perhaps, but that might be what the criminal wants us to think. He could simply be throwing suspicion to the new club," Ryuu speculated. "In any case, we won't know for sure until we get there."

"All right. Class Q, are you ready?" asked Principal Dan.

"Yes, sir!" They all chorused.

* * *

As they exited the classroom, Megumi quickly made her way out of their school building and ran across campus to look for their missing classmate. She didn't have too far to look though; she spotted Shizuko's bag at the bottom of a tree on their rather woodsy area in the DDS grounds. Hurrying over to it, she looked up to check whether her split-second deduction had been right in guessing that Shizuko was in the tree. 

"Didn't take you too long to find me," the dark-haired girl said, sounding depressed. She looked down at Megumi from the tangled limbs and branches of the tree.

"Your bag was down here, so it was really easy to guess," Megumi explained.

"Yeah, I suppose that was a pretty obvious giveaway," Shizuko admitted, climbing down a few branches and jumping off, landing on her feet in front of Meg. "I suppose Dan-sensei gave us the case?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes, did you ever doubt it?" Meg grinned.

"Did he send you to find me?"

"Well, kind of. He just wanted me to pass on the details of the case to you."

"Does that mean I'm still part of Class Q?"

"Of course you are, why, what's wrong?"

Shizuko sat down at the tree's roots. "It's probably a stupid reason, but what Yukihira and Shiramine said kind of got to me. If I'm not important to them, what more would you guys think of me?"

"Oh, Shizuko, don't think that," Megumi said, sounding almost sisterly. "You're part of our team."

"I'm still new to everybody," she said gloomily.

"No you're not, you really helped us out in the Nine Circles of Hell case," The pink-haired girl reminded her. "None of us know how to play the violin; none of us are even music-oriented! We never would have figured it out."

"Check your photographic memory again, Megumi, I also put our class in danger by attempting to play it."

"It all worked out in the end!"

"I still feel kind of dumb," Shizuko muttered. "I should have known that even though I gave up trying to make trouble, trouble would come to take its revenge on me."

"What are you talking about?"

Shizuko gave a start. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that." She sighed. _I forgot…Megumi doesn't know what I've done in the past. Why of all things did I have to be a juvenile delinquent before aspiring to become a detective?_

"You know, you're starting to sound a little like Ryu," Meg commented, leaning on the tree trunk next to her. "He was always a little secretive, but since some of our cases were solved, he's been warming up to all of us."

"But you were all together from the beginning, Megumi, and I'm still a new addition. I feel like I'm butting in on your lives," Shizuko confessed.

"That's not true," The other girl assured her. "You're an important asset to class Q. You handled the past cases pretty well, considering your being the newbie. You adjusted pretty well."

"I've always been flexible, but I still have that nagging feeling. You remember what I told you guys the first time I came here?"

"Of course, you told us that a long time ago you felt like you didn't belong anywhere, and being in DDS was like a dream come true for you."

"Exactly. The thing is, Megumi, dreams are like bubbles, when popped, their lives are over. My bubble just burst when Yukihira and the others didn't even care about my recruitment into Class Q."

"There's always the martial arts class for you to take out your anger on them," Meg laughed. "Shizuko, don't mind that anymore. The next time you ever feel that way, you can always talk to me, okay?"

"Okay, then."

"That's great," the girl cheerfully got up. "Okay, since you're going to come on the case with us—"

"I haven't said anything about going!"

"The case was assigned to class Q, and last time I checked, you're part of Class Q," Megumi said with a grin.

"…Can't I take a rain check?" Shizuko asked feebly.

"We'll be meeting at the bus stop at 3:30 tomorrow afternoon; don't be late, because we leave at 4:30 sharp—I've checked the schedules," she added as an explanation when Shizuko looked at her quizzically. "Anyway, after that, we have a short walk on foot to a nearby inn, and that's where our client will pick us up in a limousine. If there's any trouble with you, I'll send one of the boys over to drag you along to the bus stop."

"I hope you don't mean that literally."

"Depends on which of the guys I send to drag—er, fetch you," she said, waggling her finger at her like an older sister.

"Megumiiiiiii…"

"I'll see you tomorrow!"

The pink-haired girl ran off, and Shizuko withered.

"_Nii-san_ is going to kill me…"

* * *

"Kyu, don't forget to take these preserved plums with you!" 

"Aw, Mom, you didn't have to follow me all the way to the bus stop…"

The others; namely, Kinta, Kazuma and Megumi, snickered as Kyu's mother doted on him like he was a child.

"Now, be a good boy, and don't be reckless. Here, I bought this charm from a nearby shrine to keep you safe…"

"Mom…"

"Take care, sweetie, and you too, Ryu," Kyu's mother turned to the purple-haired boy, pinching his cheek. "Make sure that this son of mine doesn't get into any trouble, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," The young _bishounen_ replied obediently.

"That's a good boy. I'll see you soon, and don't forget to have fun!"

"I always have fun on cases," Kyu replied cheerfully.

"Well, don't work too hard," the older woman replied. "I'll leave you now, take care!" She kissed him on both cheeks, causing some of the others to giggle.

Megumi checked her watch. "It's 3:25," she remarked. "We're all early, but Shizuko's missing," she said worriedly.

"Maybe she just took her time getting here," Kinta thought aloud. "Besides, we did tell her that we'd be meeting at 3:30, she might've gotten stuck in traffic or at school."

"What if her brother didn't let her come?" Ryuu pondered.

Megumi smacked her forehead. "I didn't think of that! Ryuu, do you think you can check on her? We still have a lot of time, but now that you mention it, it could be a family issue."

Ryuu sighed. "Fine. I'll send you guys a message if there's any trouble."

* * *

"Just _how_ often does DDS get cases?" 

Katsuhiko, Shizuko's oh-so-stingy older brother, looked completely unwilling to let his _precious_ little sister go.

"_Nii-san_, I TOLD you, it just happened, and I need to be at the bus stop before the bus leaves at 4:30," Shizuko snapped.

"First a violin case and NOW a high-profile one at the Polo Club? This one is starting to make me a little worried, runt."

"Focus on college and let me live my life," she muttered, packing a couple of shirts into her duffel bag.

_Ding-dong!_ The doorbell rang.

Shizuko winced. "I didn't think that Megumi would send one of the guys over so soon."

"The guys? What guys? Do you mean the ones from your class?"

"No, I mean the ones from the zoo. Of COURSE the ones from Class Q, _nii-san, _this was assigned to all of us, not just me. I'm going with them."

"I'll take the door. _You_ finish packing if you wanna go so bad," Katsuhiko muttered, running a hand through his dark hair. His blue eyes flashed with impatience.

* * *

Ryuu grimaced as he rang the bell a second time. Still no answer. _Maybe no one's home._

Before he could turn to leave though, the door swung open, and a tall boy in his late teens towered over him.

"Uhm," Ryuu began, but the boy beat him to it.

"I remember you, my sis was right, one of her classmates DID get sent over. You're…Ryuu, right?" the older teen said, raising an eyebrow.

Ryuu nodded. "Yes. I guess this is the second time you've let me into your house."

"That's true. Are you here to pick up my little sis?"

"I was sent mostly to check up on her. Are you letting her go on the case?" he asked.

"Well, I don't seem to have a choice, she's dead-set on going."

"I see. I'll wait for her, then."

Katsuhiko led him into the living room, where a sofa and several overstuffed armchairs were arranged neatly. A round glass coffee table was set in the center of the room, holding several magazines underneath it and some photo albums. The plant sitting on top of it looked as though it needed watering, however. A side table next to the sofa held a few silver frames, mostly of what seemed to be the siblings at different points in their young lives. One of the smaller frames showed a very young Shizuko in a costume for a play, dressed as a rather plump bumblebee. Another held a picture of what seemed to be a kid version of Katsuhiko riding a bicycle. A medium-sized frame held a picture of the both of them, Katsuhiko in his mid-teens and Shizuko looking as though she was nearing adolescence, dressed in what appeared to be white tennis uniforms. Katsuhiko looked more like the real athlete though—Shizuko was just carrying his bag and a racket, looking rather aloof. The largest frame held a picture of the family, their mother, father, and the two siblings. Shizuko looked to be about eight or nine years old in the photo, which meant that the family hadn't been together for quite a while.

"Yep, that was us before our mom and dad left to work abroad," Katsuhiko's voice suddenly echoed behind him. The older boy stepped over to the frames. "My sis and I have been taking care of ourselves ever since."

"No wonder Shizuko's become mostly independent," Ryuu remarked quietly.

"You've no idea." Katsuhiko looked mournful for a moment. "Come on, you can sit down. The chairs don't bite."  
Ryuu felt slightly awkward, being with a seemingly protective older brother, and briefly wondered why in the world he'd agreed when Megumi had asked him to check on Shizuko. He sat down on one of the armchairs, feeling as though he'd just entered the interrogation room in a police station.

Katsuhiko must have noticed his uneasiness, because he smirked. "Don't be so tense. Oh yeah, you can just call me Katsuhiko-san." He laughed. "Though we've met quite a few times, we've never been properly introduced nor had a proper conversation, so let's start with the basics," he continued, sitting down on a chair in front of Ryuu. "How close are you with my sis?"

"We're friends," he said simply, although he could tell that Katsuhiko had noticed the unintended question mark at the end of his statement.

"She talks about you quite often," remarked the older boy. "Did you really save her life back at the violin school?"

"I guess you could call it that," Ryuu replied. "But I only knew about her being in danger because she sent me an SOS…"

"Well, that's what she told me too. But I'm glad you went after her anyway."

Katsuhiko stood up. "Listen, I want to ask a big favor of you."

"What is it?"

"Can you keep an eye on my little sister for me?"

Ryuu choked on air. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, I know you're not a wimp. I'll ask you though, how far are you willing to go to keep her safe?"

"I'd protect her with my life," he answered honestly. It was true—he'd found friendship within Class Q, within each one of its members, and to him it was worth more than his own life. He'd do just about anything.

Crossing his arms, Katsuhiko pronounced, "Fine, but I'll tell you this; _anything_ that happens, you, I repeat, _you_, have to answer to me, you got that?"

"You're quite as overprotective as she mentioned," Ryu remarked, remembering a side comment that Shizuko had told him before.

The nineteen-year-old burst into laughter. "I guess that could be true. Since both our parents started working abroad I've been trying to take care of her as best as I can. But it's been getting more difficult as she gets older, and even then it was already hard for me to keep an eye on her.

"Now that's she's in the detective school, I get a lot more worried about her safety whenever she goes gallivanting around the city and beyond. It's a big risk, you know. And even worse, she doesn't always like people getting too close to her. She doesn't let anyone bother about her and insists that she can do things herself even if it kills her."

"I know what you mean," Ryu recalled with a wince. "I guess neither of us can change that."

"Yeah, but anyway, since I won't be there, I'm trusting you to keep an eye on her—can you do that?"

"I'll do everything in my power, then."

"Good answer."

At that moment, Shizuko came bounding down the stairs, tugging her duffel bag behind her. "Ah, Ryu! Thank goodness, I thought Megumi had sent Kinta over to drag me to the bus stop," she said in a rush. Spotting her brother, she asked suspiciously, "_Nii-san_, I hope you're not telling him any dumb stories about me."

"Oh, you mean like when you used to run around naked on the neighbors' lawn till you were five?" the older boy said with an evil smile. "No, nothing like that at all."

Shizuko shrieked. "You're a horrible brother!" she screamed, flushing in embarrassment and wrenching Ryuu out of his seat. "Get up, we're going," she snapped at the _bishounen_, pulling him out the door.

"It was nice meeting you, Katsuhiko-san," Ryuu managed to say.

"Nice meeting you too, Ryuu. Hey, if you want any more stories—"

"He's going to be banned from the premises," Shizuko said darkly.

"Aww, but I haven't even gotten around to telling him about your adorable little stuffed cat that you can't sleep without—"

"_NII-SAN!_"

"You sleep with a stuffed animal?" Ryuu raised an eyebrow.

"Don't interrupt an important discussion between siblings," Shizuko said snippily. "Good-_bye_, _nii-san_," she said with pure venom dripping from her lips.

"Bye, sis, take care, and I looove youuu!" Katsuhiko said the last bit with a slightly gagging sound.

"I loooveee you toooo," she said in an exaggerated tone much like her brother's as she continued to push Ryuu out the door.

"That was pleasant," Ryuu said casually as they strode down the streets.

"Yeah, sure it was," Shizuko muttered. "If you tell anyone about what you've heard, I swear—I will make sure your body is found scattered in several dumpsters. Oh, and I will personally deliver your guts in a jar of formaldehyde to the police."

"Just like Jack the Ripper. I won't breathe a word."

"Good."

Shizuko checked her watch. "Oh, man, that entire fiasco cost me so much time, it's 3:56," she moaned.

"We're still early. I'll tell Megumi we're on our way," Ryuu replied calmly, taking out his own mobile phone.

A sudden shriek sent both of them snapping their heads in the direction of the noise. Ryuu paused mid-type, his thumb frozen on one of the keys.

"Help! That crook has my handbag!" a woman screeched as a black-hooded form rushed past the two teenagers. Shizuko barely had time to register the skateboard that the thief was riding on.

"Ryuu, let's get him," she suggested, tugging at his arm. The boy shook his head. "We really should, but there's no way we'll be able to catch him on foot…"

The girl was way ahead of him. The next thing he knew, she was flashing her notebook to a nearby skateboarder. "DDS. I need to borrow your skateboard," she said quickly, getting straight to the point. Surprisingly, the young man obeyed, and she was running over to Ryuu with the set of wheels in tow.

"Shizuko, there is no way you can ride a skateboard," he pointed out, but she waved her hand impatiently. "Look, I've got an idea. I'll run him down in this direction. The street turns back on itself after a block, there's nowhere he can run," she informed him. "I want you to cut him off in that direction."

Before he could even disagree, Shizuko was off, putting the borrowed skateboard through its paces as she sped after the crook.

Ryuu managed to find the worried woman reporting to the police about her stolen handbag. He made his way over, identified himself as a DDS member, and calmly reported that his female companion was already on the criminal's heels. That being done, he ran off in the direction that Shizuko had told him to.

_Megumi is going to kill me_, he thought as he sped down a side alley.

* * *

Shizuko was gaining on the purse-snatcher with every passing second. Judging from the height and build of the crook, he looked to be no older than a typical teenager. What kind of kid was this who was desperate enough to steal from some woman? 

It was obvious that the thief was aware of her presence, so he sped up. However, Shizuko was fairly skilled in skateboarding, so she was able to at least keep on his tail. As she watched the bandit round a corner, the girl smiled to herself. _He's headed right where Ryuu is standing guard,_ she thought confidently. She followed him down the sharp turn.

Ryuu spotted the two of them headed straight for him. The hooded teen on the skateboard made waving motions for him to get out of the way, but he stood his guard. However, before he could really do anything, Shizuko had leapt off her borrowed skateboard and tackled the thief. They landed on the ground in a tangle of limbs. The purse went flying, and Shizuko grabbed it. "Ryuu, catch!" she called out to him, tossing him the handbag. Ryuu caught it and winced. This wasn't the plan he had in mind. "Are you okay, Shizuko?" he asked.

The kid's hood had fallen off in their struggle, revealing tousled pale blond hair and sharp green eyes. "Shizuko?" the boy asked incredulously, looking enraged.

Shizuko looked stunned. "You!"

"'You' yourself," the boy muttered, standing up and dusting himself off. "You've got some nerve tackling me! When did _you_ come back? And who's the new dude?"

"That's none of your business," she snapped at him. "You've got some nerve yourself, taking some lady's handbag!"

"You're one to talk!" the stranger yelled. "So, you're in a detective school now? Ha! Everyone should know that you were once the best thief and delinquent a few years back!"

Shizuko looked taken aback. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"Oi! You, stop right there!" A police officer was already on his way toward them.

Before Ryuu or Shizuko could make a move to stop the boy, he ran off, leaping on his skateboard and rolling haphazardly down the city streets. The police officer quickly gave chase, but Shizuko shook her head. "They'll never catch him," Shizuko muttered.

After giving a more detailed report to the policeman, giving back the handbag to its relieved owner, and returning the skateboard that Shizuko had hastily "rented", Ryuu checked his watch. "We have to hurry. We wasted more than fifteen minutes. It's a good thing the bus stop isn't too far."

Shizuko remained silent, and this bothered him. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, a little concerned.

"Please don't tell Class Q," she mumbled.

"Don't tell them what?" Ryuu inquired, curious now.

"Please don't tell them about what he said. My so-called criminal past."

* * *

**Rants: yes, it's the start of a whole new case for Class Q, but it looks like Shizuko's past is finally catching up with her as well. Will this affect her reputation at DDS? And what will class Q do if they find out that Shizuko was once a delinquent?**

**Oh, before I forget, for those of you who want to see and know more about Shizuko and her "apparent" relationship with Ryuu, please visit my creative journal:**

**http://frozen-rhapsody (dot) livejournal (dot) com**

**I've only recently created it, and if you have a livejournal account and such, I'd like you guys to comment on the first post there and tell me what you expect from me. Also, this could be a kind of treat for anyone who's become a fan of my OC. Contrary to popular belief, i DO write Shizuko/Ryu fanfics. I just don't feel like posting them here on fanfictiondotnet. The DSQ section has too many romance fics as it is. No sense in clogging it up with OC-involved romances. Heheh.**

**Thanks for your continued support! and PLEASE REVIEW!**


	2. Memories

**I'm surprised that people are still even looking at the DSQ section. I feel worried…**

**thanks to all those who reviewed! **

**Anyway, here's chapter two.**

**disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q. **

* * *

**Chapter Two: Memories**

The bus may have been air-conditioned, but that was all that it had to make the trip comfortable. The stained vinyl seat covers were worn, and the padding was thin. The entire mass of old metal rattled as it went along, surprisingly speedy for a bus that looked as though it was way overdue for a health inspection.

Ryuu wondered how the entire vehicle wasn't coming apart, what with the sudden tiny explosions he could hear somewhere underneath the floorboards and the odd, almost dizzying smell reaching his nostrils. The pine-scented air freshener dangling from every other window didn't help much. The trip would take almost four hours, and in the lulling warmth of the afternoon, there was really nothing much to do. Kazuma had his laptop for company, since the usually-on-the-go Kinta was snoring his head off. Kyu was still as energetic as ever, pointing excitedly at things outside the window, nudging Ryuu and tugging at his olive-green jacket every few minutes. The young _bishounen_ opted for being mildly interested in the passing scenery as it whooshed by in a slight blur.

Ryuu passed by Shizuko and Megumi's seat later on as the bus stopped at a gas station for refilling, since he needed to use the bathroom. He was surprised to find the skinny, dark-haired girl asleep on her companion's shoulder. Meg grinned up at him. "She seems tired."

"I imagine she would be. After chasing a purse-snatcher on a skateboard, I don't know what else she could be," Ryuu replied, stepping off the bus after waving at her casually. "I need to use the bathroom."

"Hurry back," Meg reminded him.

"This won't take long."

The bus resumed its uncomfortable journey a few minutes later, with Ryuu safely back on board. The driver grunted at him as he climbed up the steps in apparent distaste, muttering something about young teenagers wasting his time. As he passed by the girls' shared seat, he noticed that Shizuko had changed her position to lean against the window instead. Shaking his head, he went back to his seat.

However, unknown to any of them, Shizuko was dreaming, going back to a certain meeting that she had constantly thought about since entering the famous detective school.

* * *

_Nanami-sensei stared at the records in disbelief. "Are these really the records of the new student, Dan-sensei?"_

"_Why yes," the principal replied, hiding an amused grin. "I anticipate a few objections."_

"_Hell yes," Nanami-sensei cried out, almost angry. "You can't let a delinquent into the school!"_

"_She passed the exams in New York," replied Dan-sensei curtly._

"_But that's not the only determining factor!"_

"_Let me rephrase that: she passed the exams with only one mistake."_

"_WHAT?"_

"_I see that caught your attention."_

"_But sir! This new pupil," The teacher stammered in protest, "Why would anyone even qualify her?"_

_Prolonged silence and a faint twitch on Dan-sensei's lips answered him._

"…_you're baiting me, aren't you?" asked Nanami, realizing what the older man was doing._

"_I was wondering what kind of first impression you might form if you looked at those records."_

"_Are you sure you want a student like this in DDS? I mean, these documents," the white suited teacher waved them as if for emphasis. "The girl is obviously a felon in the making!"_

"_I see."_

"_Is that all you can say, sir?"_

"_Check these ones then, Nanami." As the head teacher spoke, he handed Nanami another sheaf of papers. As the young man studied them, his eyes grew wide in astonishment. "This can't be from the same person," came the reply. Nanami looked up. "What is this supposed to mean?"_

"_You've just seen just how a person can change, with the proper motivation," responded the wheel chaired gentleman. "Nanami, you do remember how you used to be a long time ago, don't you?"_

_The usually energetic teacher stiffened, and looked down at the ground in shame. "Yes, I do." _

"_Very well."_

"_But sir, what exactly makes you interested in this student?"_

"_It's difficult to explain," said Dan-sensei. "If you'll look at the records, she was given countless punishments and plenty of detentions for serious school offenses, yet her grades are exceptional. There's mention that she never raises a hand in class and is disinterested in lessons, but her marks are consistently very high. Her cover is excellent, Nanami, she does whatever she wants without concern, but at the same time she doesn't let a thing get past her._

"_That trait is very vital in becoming a detective, don't you think?" asked the old man kindly._

"_But what motivated her to turn a new leaf?" inquired the other educator. _

"_It's mentioned that she was sent to a reform school, but that center is closed now," murmured the principal. "Her stay in New York with her grandfather in New York is where it all begins. He's a criminologist. Takashi Miyahara of the New York Police Department. Incidentally, she used some of her skills to help out her grandfather. He wrote out a letter of recommendation himself, anticipating the trouble with her conflicting records."_

"_Is that why you're accepting her?"_

"_Oh goodness, no. But you see, it's obvious that this girl has made a big effort to change. I would be glad to be an instrument in that change. I have faith in her young mind…as well as her skills."_

_A scuffle of feet and a thump was heard near the door of the office, and the two men in the room turned in the direction of the noise. Dan-sensei smiled as he checked his watch. "As a matter of fact, we were supposed to be meeting the subject of our conversation several minutes ago," he remarked. He called out reassuringly to whoever was positioned outside. "If you've stopped eavesdropping on our conversation, you may come in now." His eyes twinkled in amusement. _

_A dark-haired girl stepped a little apprehensively into the room. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop; I just overheard the conversation before I could come in."_

"_No harm done," said the distinguished principal. "Shizuko Miyahara, I presume?"_

"_Yes. You must be Principal Dan."_

"_Yes, I am. Please take a seat."_

_The girl sat down, and Nanami took the opportunity to make his own observation of the young lady before them. Lithe and thin, she was dressed rather casually in a loose black t-shirt and a pair of slim-fitted jeans, a heavy-looking metal chain dangling somewhere around her belt loops. Her pale complexion contrasted sharply with her short dark hair. A small, round pendant, sterling silver, dangled from a chain at her neck. Looking slightly insecure, she poked at the carpeted floor with the top of her black sneakers. _

_She still looked every inch like the rebel that her records described. But Nanami now knew better than to judge a person based on appearance alone._

"_So, I suppose you know why you're here," Dan-sensei began. _

"_Well, it's about my acceptance into DDS, right?" The girl asked, raising her brows. "Unless…something's changed?"_

"_No, nothing at all. We simply wanted more information out of you, something that your records won't tell us."_

_The gray-haired detective leaned forward slightly in his wheelchair. "I know it's not easy for you to discuss these things, but files and reports can't tell me much about a person, and I wanted to see you with my own eyes so that I could properly gauge your skill and what class you belong to, eventually. So, is it all right with you if I ask some questions?"_

"_Depends on the questions I'll be hearing," replied Shizuko, leaning back in her chair and bracing herself for what was to come._

"_Fine, but I can assure you that this conversation will be confidential and will in no way affect your acceptance."_

_At that, Shizuko seemed to relax slightly. The principal smiled. "As you might probably expect, we've been through all your records, and I'm pleased to tell you personally that you passed the DDS exam with flying colors, despite the one mistake."_

_Nanami straightened out his white suit for a second and sat down in another chair, adding, "There hasn't been another student who's done so well, not since Ryuu Amakusa, now of Class Q, took the exam."_

_The girl raised her eyebrows. "Oh."_

"_We're surprised, of course that your records here in Japan show you as a kind of rebel and in contrast, your grades are above average," Dan-sensei spoke evenly. "And we also observed that your stay in New York for almost five years had an effect on you. You were under the care of your grandfather, correct?"_

"_Yes, sir. It's mostly because of him that I changed for the better," Shizuko expressed. _

"_He was a criminologist, was he not? He gave us a letter of recommendation right here. Did he refer you to DDS in any way?"_

_At this, the girl giggled. "No. My brother, who's staying here in Japan, told me about the school. He made a long distance call to tell me about it. My grandfather wasn't pleased. He wanted to keep the news from me until I was ready, but he had to concede in the end since he trained me up a little."_

"_He must be proud."_

"_I guess so."_

"_Since he's a criminologist," Nanami-sensei decided to probe, "Have you had any firsthand experience with forensics and laboratory procedures?"_

"_A bit," She shrugged. "My grandfather did take me to the lab several times."_

"_And your rebel past?" asked Dan-sensei. "Anything you'd like to clear up?"_

"_My answer won't affect my acceptance at DDS right?" Shizuko answered the question with another question, with the air of making sure the ground wasn't going to crumble away underneath her if she set foot on it._

_The principal chuckled. "Like I said earlier, it won't affect anything."_

"_I was just making sure," the girl said sheepishly. _

"_Don't be nervous about it. We'd just like to see what kind of person you really are. We can't just drop you into a class you might not fit into. That, and we just wanted to see what you could tell us of your past."_

_With another shrug, and a hand reaching up to scratch the back of her head, she replied, "I guess…being a rebel was my way of escaping boredom. And finding a way to fit in. Needless to say, I was wrong in the direction I took, and I got into a lot of trouble, but right now, I don't want to think that I regret it…after all that's what made me into the person I am today, and I can't change that." _

_Somehow, the elderly head teacher smiled at her. "Very well. You've enlightened us quite a bit."_

"_I have?"_

"_Yes. And just so you know, we've decided to place you in Class Q."_

* * *

"Shizuko, we're here…" 

Meg prodded the dozing girl next to her, who merely mumbled something and rolled over to her other side. Megumi wrinkled her brow and continued to poke Shizuko.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Ryuu said, coming over to them.

Kinta yelled from outside, "Hey, are you guys going to get off or do I have to drag you out?"

Ryuu sighed at the call of the older teen and focused on the situation at hand. Recalling the last time he had tried to wake Shizuko during the Nine Circles of Hell case, he grimaced at the sudden mental image of Shizuko's fist aimed directly at his face.

"What do you suppose I should do then, leave her on the bus?" Meg asked sarcastically.

"I'll wake her," Ryuu offered. "You've no idea what happens if you're not prepared."

Meg gave him a curious glance. "What?"

"Just watch."

Meg got out of the way as Ryuu made his way over to the other girl's sleeping form. "Shizuko," he said quietly, gently shaking her by the shoulder.

As he had anticipated, Shizuko's fist went flying directly towards his nose. He caught the aggressive arm with his other hand and continued to prod her awake. Megumi stared in disbelief at the sudden movement coming from Shizuko. "That's…surprising," Meg managed to say. "Thanks for warning me."

"She attempts to kill anyone who disturbs her sleep," remarked Ryuu as Shizuko began to stir.

Megumi giggled in spite of herself. Surprised at the pink-haired girl's reaction to his offhand statement, he flushed in embarrassment.

"I hate to interrupt the moment," Shizuko snapped sleepily," but the two of you are in my way, and I don't want Kinta pulling me out the window."

The two teens jumped in surprise, and then Meg burst out laughing, followed by Ryuu's quiet chuckle.

The skinny girl smiled at them wanly and yawned. "I'm guessing we're there already?" she inquired, stretching out her cramped muscles.

"Yes, and Kinta is offering to drag us out of the bus if we don't hurry," Ryuu replied, taking down the bags from the creaky overhead compartment.

"He just wants to show off his immense strength, the big oaf," Megumi laughed as they got off the bus.

"About time you guys got off, it's 8:45 now and we've got a walk to the inn," Kazuma muttered, checking his watch.

"I don't understand why we had to come this late," Shizuko thought aloud as they strode down a dirt path, following Kazuma's directions.

"It was the only time that Sakagami-san, our client, had to spare with us," explained Megumi. "He works for the polo club as a financial manager, and he's a close personal friend of the owner, Arakida-sama. He'll be picking us up tonight, and since it's so late I doubt we'll get much attention from the people staying there now."

"I guess that's a good thing," said Kyu. "We don't want to grab so much attention by coming there during the day and having to ask so many questions from the guests."

"Do you think we'll have to think up another cover-up story for this case? Or should we just set ourselves out in the open as investigators?" asked Kinta.

"Maybe we'll leave that to Sakagami-san," Ryuu spoke up. "It'll be up to him whether we keep our investigation discreet."

"Good idea," agreed Kyu.

Braving the darkness, Class Q set out into the night.

* * *

**Rants: yes, I know there isn't much action going on here, but I hope to include more in the next chapter. **

**YAY, Christmas vacation is almost here! **

**Once again I'd like to shamelessly advertise my art/creative livejournal, there's a link at the bottom of my profile. PLEASE take a look at it and comment, or email at the address so I know you've been there.  
**

**PLEASE REVIEW!  
**


	3. Details, Details

**I bring you Chapter three of this fanfiction which I, admittedly, have not thoroughly planned out. Eheheh.**

**I would very much like to apologize for the length of time I am taking to write this story. Right now, I have completed a cast of characters for class Q to meet at the club, and I have, more or less, figured out a solution and some twists to the case. so I'm a bit more satisfied with my work at this point. Hopefully my progress will go faster. Wish me luck. **

**I'm very appreciative of your reviews and comments in the past and up to now—I hope you guys still continue to support me although I haven't been thriving well as of late. Your opinions matter very much to me, so please don't hesitate to review, or email me. **

**I won't bore you any more. Here's chapter three!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q.**

* * *

** Chapter 3: Details, Details**

Kazuma seemed to collapse as they stepped over the threshold of the inn. "At…last," he moaned, falling to his knees.

The rest of Class Q looked at him in amusement. Being the smallest and youngest among the six of them, it was expected that he'd be the most tired after a long walk. Kyu, being energetic, was still bouncing around quite cheerfully, and Kinta had the strength (and the clumsiness) of an ox. Megumi, Ryu and Shizuko probably weren't as strong or full of vitality, but they were patient enough and weren't the type to be daunted by such things. However, Kazuma was used to rich life and being driven around in expensive cars—such a wearying and strenuous trip wasn't suited for his pampered self.

It wasn't a good thing (for him, anyway) that the inn could only be reached on foot. Not for the weak of heart, obviously.

As the young detectives made things clear with the innkeeper at the counter, they settled down on the couches in the lobby. After a few moments of waiting, As Kazuma caught his breath enough to do some data gathering on his laptop, Kinta proceeded to try and catch forty winks on one of the stuffed armchairs. Meanwhile, Kyu got a little bored and decided to check out the lobby's décor. From one of the couches one could see one of the innkeeper's maids babble away carelessly on the inn's telephone, obviously exchanging flirtatious conversation with a distant boyfriend, although she was taking occasional peeks at class Q's resident _bishounen_, Ryu. Shizuko turned her almost-laugh into a cough as the young maid winked suggestively at the young man, who stiffened slightly and stammered an excuse to get up and out of the playful female's line of sight. The girl looked horribly disappointed, and as she continued her seemingly unending phone call, she sent a few glares at Shizuko as though she was the cause of all her problems. The dark-haired girl only smirked at the utter immaturity of the maid, and was thankful that they were not staying at this inn. Megumi took in the entire exchange and covered her mouth to keep from giggling. However, it was no use. In no time, the two female detectives were laughing, reducing their laughter to mere snickers as the maid finished her phone call and Ryu came out of the men's room to rejoin them trying to look calm, although it was obvious that he was flustered.

Shizuko dug her elbow into his ribs. "The maid thinks you're cute, you know. Introduce yourself," she teased.

Ryu gritted his teeth slightly. "I'd rather not."

She tugged at one of the hanging locks of hair at either side of his face. "Shy, aren't you?"

"Not everyone is as brazen as you are," he muttered, forcing down the impulse to redden in embarrassment. Amakusa Ryu does not blush. He is a calm, cool and collected individual. There is no _way_ that he would let his guard down—

"I am _not_ brazen." Shizuko shot back with a frown.

—especially not in front of a person as manipulating and deceptive as Shizuko could be.

"Well, you're very straightforward."

"I am not."

"Yes, you are."

"Kazuma-kun is the straightforward one."

"Don't drag me into your problems." Kazuma sounded uninterested, but he preferred not to be involved in the matter.

"Ryu-kun becomes very confident when it comes to cases," Meg put in helpfully.

"But not with girls," Kinta butted in, finding the subject of the girls' conversation too interesting to sleep through.

"Will you please close the subject?" Ryu requested sharply. His discomfort showed, however, and that caused Kinta to grin.

"It's too interesting to wrap up," the older teen prodded. "Give us the inside story, Ryu-kun."

"There is _no_ 'inside story'," the young _bishounen _retorted with a disapproving look at the 18-year-old. "Honestly, Kinta."

"No way," persisted Kinta. "You're a ladies' man."

"I am _not_."

"De-NI-al," Shizuko murmured in a singsong voice.

The conversation was getting way too interesting. Even Kyu had stopped tinkering around with a funny-looking figurine at one of the end tables and was grinning at Ryu in an almost sheepish manner, as though saying, "Sorry, Ryu, they're right."

Ryu was saved from making yet another attempt at fending off questions by the sudden opening of the inn's door, causing a strong breeze to whip about the room for a moment. The young detectives turned to see who the caller was. Ryu took notice of the scene outside before the guest closed the door—a strong wind was picking up, and leaves were billowing about in the wind. In the comfort of the inn none of them had noticed the changes in weather conditions.

A tall gentleman, looking to be about thirty, straightened out his coat and tie ensemble as he came over to the six students. His slightly graying hair was well-combed, parted in an unnaturally straight fashion. The shirt he wore underneath the black jacket was so white it was almost blinding, and his trousers were pressed so well that it looked as though it wouldn't wrinkle even if thirty elephants were to stamp on it. Shiny, well-polished shoes winked up at them from his feet. It was obvious that this man paid a lot of attention to his appearance—even his _moustache_ looked as though it had been trimmed with extremely precise measurement. Kinta gave an almost indiscernible sniff of displeasure; he obviously didn't like the "mega-rich" aura that the man was giving off.

So it came as a surprise when the voice that came out of the man's mouth was nothing more than a nervous squeak.

"Uhm, what?" Megumi asked tentatively, not really understanding what the newcomer had said.

"I-I said, 'Are you the d-detectives from D-D…DDS?'" he managed to say in a strangely high voice.

Shizuko felt a drop of sweat roll down the side of her head. _Wow. This is one nervous dude._

Kinta looked as though he was going to burst out laughing, so Kazuma gave him a pinch in his side. Kinta let out a strangled howl of pain. Everyone else in the room looked it him weirdly.

"Yes, we're from DDS," Kyu decided to answer their newcomer before the situation got any more awkward.

"Oh, good," The man sighed in relief. "I've b-been sent t' pick you all up," he managed to say. "You c-can call me S-Sakagami-san."

"Dan-sensei told us you'd be picking us up," Megumi said, "If it was any inconvenience…"

"Oh n-no, n-not at all!" Sakagami said with a slight bow of his head. "If you would p-please come with me now, I'll t-take you in our limo. I-It's going to be a very long drive, you see…"

AS the students stepped out of the confines of the inn, a harsh wind swept through the area, whipping at everyone's jackets. Mr. Sakagami had some difficulty getting the door of the limousine to open since his fingers had gotten slippery from the sudden drizzle of rain that was commencing. After getting the door open, he motioned to everyone else to get in, and slid inside after Kinta, who was the last student to get in. The car immediately took off as soon as the door closed.

The interior of the car was incredibly spacious. Two leather-covered seats were set up, parallel and facing each other. A small window, obviously leading to the chauffeur, was currently closed off by a pane of glass. Shizuko had managed to get in first, stealing the window seat furthest from the door for herself. Ryu was sitting next to her, then Megumi, and Kyu. Kazuma, Kinta and Mr. Sakagami sat across from them. Pressing a button on the pad next to him, Sakagami muttered instructions to take them to the Polo Club. There was a muffled, affirmative response from a small speaker next to it. Looking satisfied, he turned to face the group of young detectives, looking a lot less nervous, although grim.

"So, here's the situation," he said, speaking a phrase for the first time without stuttering, "T-The Kajawara Polo Club. It's one v-very prestigious a-and im-p-portant place, especially f–for a lot of politicians, ambassadors, et cetera. Even with Saigo up and r-running, I d-d-don't think that it would b-be much of a c-c-complication for us. However," Mr. Sakagami looked oddly grave, "T-This season, t-t-this particular time, is our p-peak! W-we have so much to d-do! And t-there are so many activities! A f-fox hunt! T-the upcoming show for t-the horses! Races! J-j-jumping competitions! A-and one of our horses goes missing!" He wrung his hands in despair.

"Dan-sensei told us that you received a threatening letter," Kyu prompted, trying to steer the man away from his despair.

"Y-yes, here it is," He replied, taking out an envelope from inside his black jacket. As he handed it to Kyu, he added, "We've already sent it to the p-p-police for analysis, but t-they could lift no fingerprints. Also, it didn't seem to match anyone's handwriting at the club…a-at first they thought it was some k-kind of joke…"

"But then Kammei went missing, huh?" Megumi thought aloud, nodding solemnly.

"Yes, exactly." The older gentleman buried his face in his hands. "At this rate, if something h-happens t'all our horses, we won't be able t-t-t'p-push through with our activities this season…in turn, our clients may leave—we'll g-go out of business!"

Kyu took this moment to carefully open the envelope and pull out the letter. "'Give up the contests this season,'" Kyu read aloud, "'Or face the consequences. Don't try to stop us. Your prize horse is at stake and so is the rest of your club. We'll take Seimei if we have to.'"

"Some threat," murmured Shizuko.

Kinta scoffed. "It said 'Don't try to stop us'," he muttered. "They're hoping that everyone gets scared and no one's gonna stop them. Not while Class Q's around!"

"You've got a point for once, Kinta," Kazuma said.

"W-we're counting on that," Mr. Sakagami smiled. Strangely enough, the gesture seemed forced, as though he didn't feel very confident about their abilities at the moment. He caught Shizuko gazing out the window and surveying the blustery atmosphere outside. Mistaking the distant look on her face for a worried expression, Sakagami assured her, "Miss, I know it's g-going to be a long drive, but there's no need t'look so b-b-bothered. This storm seems to be j-just passin' through. The weather report guaranteed us fair skies t-t'morrow."

After blinking at the gentleman in a confused manner, she nodded quietly, and went back to staring out the window.

* * *

The drive to the Polo Club was indeed long. Ryu couldn't find it in himself to sleep during the ride, although Kyu and the others were obviously very tired and had dozed off. Megumi had, to his amusement, fallen asleep on Kyu's shoulder. About an hour ago, Sakagami-san had made the limousine stop and transferred to the front seat to sit next to the driver, leaving them alone in the back to rest , sleep or discuss whatever they wanted. However, it looked as though most of them had opted to slumber. 

The only other person awake in the limousine's luxurious interior was Shizuko. Obviously, since she'd fallen into a deep sleep during the bus ride earlier that afternoon, it was no surprise that there wasn't a trace of lethargy in her system. However, she'd been staring out the window for the entire duration of the trip, and this bothered him. Because of the intense darkness outside, her face was clearly reflected on the inside of the car's window. The expression on her face illustrated deep thought.

"What's on your mind?" he finally asked her. Her mirror image looked startled, although her body showed absolutely no sign of movement. His eyes locked onto the reflection of her contemplative gaze on the pane. Although indirect, the power of his stare made her sigh in defeat. However, she continued to look intently at the shadows outside. They were snaking along a twisted mountain path, and there was absolutely nothing around them save for the trees growing not only alongside the road, but also further inward. It was a thick, dense forest covering the mountains, and the path they were going through was completely isolated. She could see Ryu's eyes leave her reflection and observe the scenery outside, trying to understand what she was seeing.

"Ryu-kun…Don't you think that being so far out in the countryside is…rather unusual for a polo club, or even a resort?" she asked quietly, still trying to find the right way to say what she meant.

"Well…" Ryu seemed thoughtful. Kyu was usually the one who asked this sort of question. "I'm going to have to admit that it _is_ quite a bother for most people to go this far for a club, but since most of the clientele at the club is rich, then they can afford it…"

"That's true, but regardless of the guests and their financial capabilities…don't' you think it's strange having a venue so far out? And for it to be a popular spot for politicians, ambassadors, et cetera…it makes me wonder how it got popular if it's a place that's hard to get to."

"Also…this path," she murmured, continuing to fix her eyes on the sight outside, "It's completely isolated. There's no car before us or behind us. Anyone who is on this road has only one destination. There's no other way in or out. Add to that the fact that we're far from the city and possibly a police station, hospital, or any other place that we should be calling in case of an emergency. We're in the wilderness, Ryu-kun. If anything bad should happen, we can't call for help and we can't get out so easily. I'm not worried though…just baffled. In accepting this case, we could be walking right into a trap that we can't escape from."

A long silence followed after her explanation, and Ryu could not help but think she was right. All the same, he had a reasonable justification as to why the club was located in such an area. "Shizuko-san," he began, "The club was built far from civilization exactly for that purpose. The club is promoted to be an escape from the stress of city life—therefore it makes sense that it should be placed far from the source of problems, don't you think?"

"True…" she mumbled, still not taking her eyes off the scenery outside. Ryu decided to go on.

"Also, being in the wilderness was the entire point of the club. You can't really experience being in the wild unless you try breathing its air for once. You can't do that in a location close to civilization in general."

"I get it, Ryu-kun," she said, defeated.

"You don't seem convinced."

"I just feel that there's more to this place than what we think it is," she grumbled.

"I'm sure that you're not the only one who feels the same way."

Shizuko finally tore her gaze away from the window and looked at him. There was barely any light in the car, so only the flashes of lightning outside illuminated her features. Ryu stared right back, his face as blank and serious as ever.

Outside, only the electric sparks dancing in the sky and the controlled glow from the limo's headlights brought the gnarled, distorted branches of the forest trees into sight. As thunder rumbled overhead, the two vigilant teens stared at the effect the storm had on the world beyond the glass windows of the vehicle. Against the gloom, the foliage appeared almost white, glowing in an eerie manner. Anything that the lights hit turned pale and ghostly in their view. The tempest continued to bring fierce air currents through the boughs, shaking them in a menacing manner.

As far as they could see, the wilderness didn't seem very welcoming the idea that detectives were passing through.

And their investigation seemed to be a threat to the very existence of the area.

* * *

**Rants:** **I'm so sorry I took a long time to update, everyone. I have had such a busy month at college. And it's getting busy again. I have not found much inspiration for writing, and neither have I had time for it. This is very very VERY frustrating on my part, because I actually ENJOY writing these stories.**

**I'd like to make a note: I'm sure you've noticed, I've started to use honorifics in addressing some of the characters, such as using the suffixes "-san" or "-kun". I'm sure most of you know what they mean. If not, I'll post a list here next time. **

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Shameless self-promotion: My creative livejournal is still alive, everyone! I'd like you all to comment there or at least show that you visited, either by emailing the address there or commenting. The URL is at the bottom of my bio, please feel free to poke around there!**


	4. Maps Can't Say Much

**I'm back again, and trying to get into the rhythm of writing new chapters. Now that we're in the Club and that my summer vacation may be drawing near, I might be able to update faster. I'm so sorry for being such a snail of a writer.**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Maps Can't Say Much**

_It's getting close to midnight_, Ryu thought as he checked his watch later that evening. It certainly was a great distance to travel.

"Really late, huh?" Shizuko whispered almost conspiratorially.

"Yeah."

"Are we almost there?"

"I think so."

"Should we wake the others?"

"Maybe we should."

"Kyu and Meg look seriously comfortable, though."

Ryu chuckled softly. "Then, maybe we shouldn't."

"Make up your mind, will you?" She was trying to sound annoyed, but Shizuko's grinning face gave it away.

To her surprise, Ryu looked more than pleased to leave the sleeping pair where they were. She softened her grin into a small smile. "So you think they're perfect for each other, _ne_?"

"I thought that was obvious from the beginning, Shizuko-san."

"You certainly didn't show it that much."

He frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

Before Shizuko could clarify, she stopped short and stared at the glass window beyond him.

"What is it?"

"We're here…"

Ryu looked out the window. A wooden sign, hanging suspended from its iron frame, read "Kajawara" in Japanese characters. Having been knocked about by the storm, the sign didn't look all too glorious. It whipped about in the strong wind.

As they went past the sign, the foliage immediately took on a trimmed, neat appearance, in contrast to the wild and unkempt surroundings that they had gone through before they'd gotten here.

"It certainly was a long ride," Ryu remarked, frowning. "I'm thinking that you might have a point earlier, Shizuko-san. If it takes that long to get here from an out-of-the-way inn and another long bus ride into anything that resembles urban surroundings, we'd best not get into any serious trouble."

"And if trouble finds us?" Shizuko posed the question.

"We'll deal with it when it happens."

After a few more minutes of turning down a few more paths, the limousine finally ended its long, tedious ride as it entered a pair of large, wrought-iron gates and came to a full stop at a lavishly designed single-story structure. A wooden sign, similar to the one they had seen earlier, swung in its iron frame. Ryu could just about make out the word "Registration" carved on it.

Ryu decided to go about prodding the other people awake, motioning for Shizuko to help out. Seeing him avoid Kyu and Meg, she frowned and decided to shake Meg awake, first.

"Me-gu-mi," she said in a singsong voice. "Megumi-chaaaaaan, we're here." She exaggerated the suffix to catch her attention.

The sleeping girl opened one eye first to stare at Shizuko. "Are we there already?" she asked sleepily.

"Yep," Shizuko replied, reaching over to poke Kyu in the head. "Oi, Kyu-kun, wake up, we're here."

Kyu mumbled something that sounded like, "Not now 'kaa-san, just a few more minutes…" before falling back into a snooze. Megumi sighed heavily. "Kyu…"

Kinta, now fully awake (thanks to Kazuma, had been stirred awake by Ryu) gave a big yawn. "So we're at the Polo Club already?"

Before Kazuma could give him a mocking answer, the door of the limousine opened, and Mr. Sakagami was standing outside with an umbrella, the driver doing the same next to him.

"E-Everyone all r-right then?" The elderly man grinned weakly. "T-This is the R-Registration building," he said, gesturing to the house behind him. "S-sorry for the long ride, but w-we're g-goin' t' r-register you right n-now."

Even under the protection of the umbrellas, Class Q still got quite drenched on the short walk towards the building.

Mr. Sakagami made his way towards the attractive-looking lady at the counter. Stuttering a little more than usual, he managed to secure a place to stay for the six weary-looking students. After a few moments of stammering conversation and a few faint chuckles, the gentleman returned to the group and announced, "R-Right, we've managed to p-pr-procure a lodge for your g-group. I-It should be j-just a few m-moments walk from h-here, b-b-but due to the s-storm, we will drive you."

"We get a lodge to ourselves?" Megumi looked slightly confused.

"G-G-Goodness, didn't you know? Here at K-Kajawara Polo Club, e-each group of g-guests get an entire house all t-to themselves! W-we just have t' know the n-number of guests who w-will b-be staying, and the registrar ch-chooses the best one t-to accommodate you."

"This place _is_ rich," Kinta muttered in Ryu's ear. Ryu merely shrugged his shoulders, indifferent. Kazuma, who had also heard the comment, remained completely unfazed.

"Then again, this _is_ your kind of life, Kazuma," Kinta suddenly realized, grumbling a little. "Nothing here could possibly put you off."

"Come, come! We'll t-take you there r-right away! It's r-really a glorious little t-thing, r-right on the shore of t-that q-quaint little beach we have on t-the property…" Mr. Sakagami began walking, intending to lead them out. He seemed rather pleased, looking excited to start showing off the good points of the polo club to them.

"We get a _beach_?" Kyu couldn't help exclaiming his delight, although it was in an undertone.

"Eheh…" Megumi looked slightly embarrassed. "I didn't expect this kind of luxury…"

"It feels more like a vacation than a case," Shizuko said in a restrained tone.

* * *

"Holy…" Kinta's jaw dropped at the sight of the lodge that they would be staying in. 

"Ye-ah," everyone else chorused behind him.

Even in the dark, the house was quite a sight to look at. The lodge was really a fully-furnished beach house, built on an outcropping of rock, facing the sea. Planks of old wood, embedded in the rock, led the way towards the front door, like stepping stones.

To be honest, the beach house was quite simple—it was no elegant mansion, but the fact that Class Q had _this_ house all to themselves was a big thing. The entire structure, built out of both cement and wood, was painted a charming shade of blue, accented with white. On the front porch was a beach recliner, as well as a small swing. Above the porch was a balcony where several deck chairs could be seen, obviously for enjoying the sunset as it could be seen at the edge of the sea.

Inside the house was a whole new story. As soon as one entered the front door, a living room was waiting for them, the usual long couch along with several armchairs and a coffee table. After that was a rectangular wooden table for dining, along with a set of chairs carefully arranged around it. On the right, a flight of stairs led to the second floor. A small bathroom opened along that side of the room as well. Somewhere to the left was the kitchen, complete with refrigerator, stove, sink, utensils, everything. When asked whether the kitchen appliances were working, Mr. Sakagami assured them that there was, indeed, running electricity throughout the house and an easily accessible circuit breaker in times of emergency. Kyu excitedly began opening the cupboards and checking to see if anything was inside. To his disappointment, most of the cupboards were empty, but Mr. Sakagami promised them that fresh supplies would be brought in the morning, and in addition, they could also eat their meals at the main building where guests could avail of the buffet.

The reason that it was necessary to have some food in the cottages themselves, Sakagami explained, was because the main building's kitchen would close after nine in the evening, and open again only at seven in the morning for breakfast. Since some guests were inclined to have midnight snacks or preferred cooking their own meals, it was a convenience for them to have food in the comfort of their own lodges.

The only thing that would be open late at night would be the bar. The underage teens looked at each other, and turned as one to glance at Kinta, who looked entirely too happy about this fact.

Exiting the kitchen, everyone began trooping up the stairs located at the right side of the living room. The second floor was nothing but a long yet spacious hallway. At the top of the stairs, one could go in either of two directions along that corridor. At a short distance to the left, one could access the balcony, which had been seen earlier from outside. Towards the right, there were several rooms where guests could stay in, each door engraved with a number. Further down that side of the hall was another staircase at the left, which led down into the kitchen, close to the back door.

After this brief tour, Sakagami led them all back downstairs and handed each of them a map of the entirety of the Polo Club grounds. Along with it, he handed each of them a pair of keys on a chain, each bearing the crest of the Polo Club.

"I b-believe it's b-best that you keep this m-map with you a-at all t-t-times," he expressed, bowing slightly. "T-The grounds are huge, and it would b-be such a t-t-terrible thing for one t-t-to g-get lost around h-here. Have y-you all g-got a map, n-now?" When everyone nodded, he smiled. "All right. and now, about those keys…each of you now has a key to this house, and a key to one of the rooms. The room keys have numbers on them corresponding to the door of the room, and the house's main key has a letter 'K' engraved on it. If any of you lose your keys, you must inform the main office immediately, and we will issue a replacement. We have, of course, a set of keys for everything at the main building, under the supervision of our caretakers and the owner of the club himself, Arakida Junichiro.

"All right, t-that's all I c-can help y-you with. W-well, I must be off n-now. Quite late, y-you know. I'll s-s-see y-you all in the m-morning, then."

With that, he left the DDS students, stepped into the limousine, and sped off.

* * *

"Sooo…what do we do now?" asked Kyu, sitting down on one of the armchairs. "I mean, it's not like we can do anything at this time, everybody's asleep except for us, and aside from that, we don't even know who's been staying at the hotel since the accidents." 

"You think it's one of the guests?" Kazuma asked, looking for an electric socket to charge his laptop's battery.

"Well, it's probably safe to assume that it's someone who's within the club, I mean, no one else is around to do the damage since we're so far from the towns," reasoned Kyu.

_So he noticed the distance too_, Ryu thought. _I wonder if he realizes how bad this situation could be if we run into any serious problems._

"Yeah, you're right," Kazuma agreed. "We can ask the registrar tomorrow for a list of people who've been staying here since the date of the threatening letter. Aside from that, we'll probably be able to see some of them at the main building, for breakfast or whatever."

"Sounds like a plan." Kinta seemed excited.

"Hold on," Meg interjected, taking out her map and spreading it across the coffee table. "Look at this."

"What is it, Meg?" Kyu asked, kneeling next to the low table.

"Well, it's obvious that the grounds are huge. Very huge. The beach where we're staying right now? That's exactly south, according the compass rose set on the map. The stables are smack in the very center of the grounds, and if we fold this map into quarters, we can see that the grounds are split into four almost even parts. The lower left-hand portion, that's where the entrance to the club was. Directly after that you enter you reach the Registration building, and behind _that_ is the largest building, the main building. It looks like a perfect square; there are entrances on all four sides. Most of the resident cottages are on this portion of the grounds too. I'm thinking that this part of the map is totally for guests. Everything else…" She waved a hand over the map, "…appears to be total wilderness. Basically, we've barely seen a quarter of the entire club grounds."

"There's a cliff on the east side of the land. It extends all along that side of the map and ends at the sea. And in the upper right hand area there seems to be a forest of some kind," Ryu noted. "To think that the owner is rich enough to purchase all this land and afford to take care of it."

"There are so many areas in the club and it's all just for horses…" Meg thought aloud.

"So…?" Shizuko prompted.

"So, maybe we should at least get ourselves acquainted with the basic layout of the grounds. Depending on the map too often might become our weakness later, and in case we won't have time to bring out our maps, we should at least know the general directions."

Ryu frowned. "If that's the case, then how do we know that this map can be trusted?"

"It has to be, at least to some extent, they give this map to everyone in the club, don't they?" Even with this explanation, Meg suddenly seemed worried.

Kyu spoke up. "Maybe it's good for knowing how to get from one place to another, but it's possible that there are places in this club not shown on the map. If that's the case, then it's best if we have a clear idea of what lies where."

"Sounds reasonable," Kazuma said with a shrug.

"I've got another idea," Shizuko said, coming forward. "Megumi, since you have a photographic memory, is it okay if we leave your copy of the map here at the cabin? It can serve as something like one of those maps they use in the army; we can put marks on certain areas, write warnings and stuff on the others, et cetera. We'll leave it somewhere we can all see it."

Kinta brightened up at the suggestion. "That sounds cool."

Kyu looked thoughtful. "What do you think, Meg, is it okay if we use your map?"

Meg grinned. "I don't mind, I've got it memorized by now."

"Then that's great!" Shizuko carefully picked up the map. "Where do you think we can put it?"

"I think there are magnets on the refrigerator in the kitchen, we can attach it there," Kazuma recommended.

"I'll do it," Kinta offered, taking the map from Shizuko and going to the kitchen.

When Kinta returned, the others decided that it was time for them to sleep, so after checking that the front and back door were securely closed, they marched upstairs to begin picking their rooms.

Shizuko quickly claimed the room at the end of the hall, nearest to the back staircase. Kinta groaned in disappointment—he'd been eyeing that room because it was nearest the kitchen. He settled for taking the room across the hall from Shizuko's, after mumbling dejectedly that it was just as close to the stairwell.

Kyu, on the other hand, went after the room closest to the balcony, claiming that the first thing he wanted to do in the morning was look at the sun over the sea. With a laugh, Megumi claimed the room across the hall from him, wanting access to the balcony as well for occasional fresh air.

With only the middle rooms left to be claimed, Kazuma picked the room in between Megumi and Kinta, while Ryu was left with the room flanked by Kyu's and Shizuko's room on either side.

Kyu however, before going to bed, went along the corridor searching for a bathroom on the level. Finding one, he announced to everyone else what he had found. There were murmurs of relief among some of them; they hadn't been looking forward to having to go all the way downstairs to use the toilet.

Bidding each other good night amidst yawns and stretches, they retired to their respective rooms and decided to catch whatever little sleep they could get—breakfast would undoubtedly be early the next day and they would not miss the opportunity to get a head start on checking on the guests.

* * *

A couple of meters away from the growth of rock where Class Q's lodge was, a pale teenager stood in a raincoat, defying the rain as it showered down on him. As lights flickered off one by one in the beach house, he waited until all he could see was the faintest of glows from one window. He smirked knowingly. 

Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating his striking features and bright green eyes. The boy's platinum blonde hair peeked out of the hood of his black coat.

_So you're here too, Shizuko. I should have expected that. Still, you can't escape the past now that it's caught up with you. I'll make sure of that._

_Even though you ran off to New York for four years, you can't get away from me now._

* * *

**Rants: I think the reason why I can't seem to update so quickly is because I take too much sweet time writing and rewriting certain portions of the chapter. I think I've become obsessive-compulsive to an extent, irritated at every other detail and even going so far as to make a diagram of the map of the Polo Club. Still, I think it does help. I know you guys hate to wait so long, but trust me, I'm frustrated too, I love publishing chapters to the net, it gives me a very satisfied feeling. So I hope you enjoyed this one, and **

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	5. Red Usually Means Trouble

**Miracle of miracles. Here's another chapter.**

**Too lazy for author's notes today.**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Red usually means Trouble**

Morning finally came.

There was a bit of chaos on the first floor when Shizuko came downstairs in a groggy state. Kinta and Kazuma were having a little squabble about using the bathroom, while Kyu and Megumi were having arguments of their own.

Ryu apparently was not in the vicinity.

"_Ohayo_…" Shizuko mumbled weakly as she seated herself on the sofa. Kyu and Meg stared at her as she draped herself resignedly over one arm of the couch, the two teens forgetting their quarrel momentarily. Kazuma, seeing that Kinta had gotten distracted by Shizuko's sudden entrance, took the opportunity to duck into the bathroom and shut the door firmly, locking it.

"That was _not_ fair, you little brat!" Kinta yelled at the closed door. With a heavy sigh, he seated himself on the sofa next to Shizuko. "You look rough," he commented, taking into account her tired appearance, most evident in the faint circles underneath her weary, dark eyes.

"I didn't sleep very well," Shizuko admitted, putting a hand to her forehead.

"Well, what happened? Did you have nightmares or something?" the older teen prodded in an almost brotherly manner.

"No," she answered briefly.

"So what's wrong?" Megumi asked, sounding concerned. "Are you sick?"

As if in response, a low rumble emanated from Shizuko's stomach—not loud enough to set off an earthquake, of course, but certainly audible enough to be perceived by her companions.

Wincing, she ducked her head in embarrassment as everyone around her broke into peals of laughter.

"Somebody's hungry," Megumi teased, leaning over the back of the couch to grin at Shizuko.

With a pout, she argued, "I only had a bowl of ramen before leaving on the bus yesterday afternoon, and I haven't eaten anything since then!"

"True," Kyu pondered. "Everyone else was able to pack food for the trip. You were in a hurry yesterday weren't you?"

"Come to think of it, you never explained to us why you weren't able to arrive earlier at the bus stop," Megumi recalled. "After sending Ryu to fetch you, we all just boarded the bus. What happened?"

Shizuko bobbed her head from side to side, as though disregarding the matter. "I didn't get permission to leave from my brother until that afternoon, and started packing that very same day. I must have forgotten some things…"

"Her leaving for a case seemed to be quite an issue," murmured a quiet, yet vaguely amused, voice.

Kyu turned immediately with a grin towards the source of the interruption. "_Ohayo_, Ryu-kun."

"_Ohayo_," Ryu greeted in reply as he sat down on one of the stuffed armchairs. "The bathroom is free upstairs if you'd like," he informed Kinta, who jumped up immediately and ran for the second floor.

"In any case, Shizuko-san," Megumi said, turning to the rather grumpy-looking girl, "I'll help you pick something light to eat from the buffet later if your stomach hurts that much. The main building should be open by now, and we can all get breakfast as soon as Kinta comes back."

"Thank you, Megumi," she replied, giving her a wan smile.

As every one else went about conducting their morning routines, Megumi took in everything with her steady gaze, each moment imprinting itself on her memory permanently. Having a photographic memory often made her a target in many cases, but it couldn't be helped.

Besides, she felt sure that her friends would always be there for her.

She watched as Kyu strode into the kitchen with Ryu, telling him about how the supplies had arrived earlier and asking for his help in putting them away. Megumi happened to catch the _bishounen_ glancing at Shizuko, who was currently trying to undo the tangles in her short, dark hair with a faulty comb. The glimpse had only lasted for half a second, Megumi estimated, before Ryu slipped into the adjoining room. Furrowing her brows, she wondered what it could have meant.

Setting the matter aside for the time being, Megu decided to sit down next to Shizuko on the couch.

It wasn't a big deal, but something had been nagging at the back of the girl's brain.

She could remember every detail of the day that Shizuko had walked into class Q, as well as after that. She could remember how she had introduced herself and let her know that she could refer to her as simply "Megu". However, Shizuko had never done so, constantly calling her by her full name.

If she had been anyone else, the matter could simply be put aside as some lapse of memory. But not Megumi—this pattern was easily noticeable, and perhaps today was the day that she'd get to the bottom of it. She'd put it off for too long.

"Megumi—" Shizuko was going to say something, but the other girl cut her off, raising her hand.

"I've been wondering, Shizuko-san," she began, seeming a little bit serious, "Why do you still insist on calling me 'Megumi' even though every one else is already accustomed to calling me 'Megu'?"

"Er…" Shizuko seemed a little embarrassed.

"I know that Ryu still calls me Megumi occasionally, but that's dwindled as well. You remind me of Kuniko Touya before she entered DDS."

Shizuko raised an eyebrow. "What does Touya-san have to do with it?"

"Before gaining confidence to even enter DDS, she used to call me 'Minami-san' in a really formal manner. It reminds me of you."

"I'm not sure I follow…"

Meg sighed and explained. "Kuniko was a student that Ryu and I met at an elite school on one of our cases. When I first encountered her there, she was really shy and hesitant to even make conversation, and was constantly scared of every little thing. After the case ended, she underwent an image change and became the person that she is right now. She's still shy at times but she's learning to gain some confidence in herself."

"Oh."

"But I've gone off-topic. Anyway, why, Shizuko-san? It makes me worried that you still don't feel like one of us yet."

Shizuko rubbed at the back of her neck hesitantly. "Eh…It just feels strange, that's all, because somehow, I don't feel like an official part of the class yet. You all share so many memories together, and I'm aware that their calling you 'Megu' is part of that—I feel like an intruder crossing that line. It isn't because you guys made me feel unwelcome or Class A made that whole scene before we left—I just don't know how to be myself right now. I feel like I'm still adjusting."

"No matter how many memories that Kyu and the others have shared with me, you're still a part of what's in the present. Past is past; it's best to focus on the present."

Meg grinned. "Besides, since you came along, Ryu has been a little less uptight. And I've been a little less isolated—it's hard to stay in the company of four guys without any other girls to talk with. My sister's been my only outlet, and things can get embarrassing."

"I'm not so sure about Ryu, though," Shizuko replied, shaking her head. "But I'm glad that you can view me as a confidante even though we haven't really talked that much."

"Shizuko, I can see that you're a really good person, even if you haven't shown it that much yet. You just have to open up a little, and at the same time, I wish you would let us take you in. It looks like you've been so caught up in your own little world that you haven't given us a chance to officially make you part of us."

"I…guess so…"

"I have an idea," Megu suddenly looked bright, "Why don't you stay over at my room tonight? We can talk all we want. It'd be just the two of us, like a mini-sleepover. What do you say?"

"I'm not so sure…"

"Oh, please say yes! It'll be a chance for the both of us to bond, as girls!"

Megumi looked entirely too eager. Shizuko decided to look thoughtful. "What exactly would 'bonding' entail?"

The pink-haired girl pouted. "Just agree. It's not a big deal. Pleaaaaaase?"

"Well, okay," Shizuko finally agreed.

"Then it's settled!"

"Can we come too?" Kyu's voice suddenly resonated from the direction of the kitchen. As the two girls turned in his direction, he could be seen leaning against the doorframe, beaming like a child.

"That sounds like fun," Kinta added, ambling down the stairs at that moment and overhearing the last parts of the conversation, like Kyu.

"No," Megumi answered bluntly.

The two boys looked crushed. "But whyyyy?" Kinta complained, looking as though Christmas had been cancelled.

"In case the two of you didn't hear, I was inviting Shizuko and not either of you."

"B-But Megu—!" Kyu started to protest.

"This is a girl bonding session—NO BOYS ALLOWED!" Megu pronounced the last three words with a tone of utter finality.

"But we won't make any trouble…" Kinta sulked, trying to look innocent.

"Oh, stop whining, Kinta, we all know you'd just peek on them or something," Kazuma suddenly entered the room, adjusting his slightly fogged-up glasses on his nose. It was surprising how such a kid could use the bathroom for so long.

"I'd have to agree," Ryu concurred, entering the room behind Kyu.

"Aw man," Kyu looked extremely disappointed.

"Although I'd have to say something, Megumi," Shizuko mumbled. "We're in the middle of a case right now; do you think we can really do that?"

"Well, it'd just be for tonight…besides; we could talk about the case once in a while too."

"I suppose so…"

"Well, now that Kinta's back," Ryu decided to cut in, "Maybe we can all go to the main building now. It's almost eight o'clock."

"Yeah, and it's obvious that _someone_ here is starving," Kinta teased.

Shizuko gave the martial artist a resentful look. "Don't rub it in," she muttered, glaring at the tall combat expert.

She only received a vigorous ruffling of her hair in response.

* * *

"_Itadakimasu!_"

"I'm starved!"

"Watch your plate, Kinta!"

"…Megumi, I think you're taking my stomach problem a little too seriously."

Shizuko stared at the soup and toast in front of her, accompanied by a glass of warm water. "Can't I have something else?"

"Try it first, and then if you feel better, you can check out the buffet a bit more." Her companion smiled.

Apparently, the main building served a wide variety for breakfast, even continental, American, French, et cetera. There _was_ a Japanese-style breakfast too, among other things, but…

Her head was starting to ache from lack of food.

With a deep sigh and a slightly disappointed look, Shizuko dipped her spoon into the soup and started eating. However, she would occasionally cast envious glares at everyone else who could eat properly. Megu noticed this and giggled—Shizuko could be such a kid at times.

"Megu, when do we check the guests who are staying here? A list would be useful," Kyu said, looking up from his meal. "After breakfast?"

"Yeah," Megumi replied, nodding. "Though it would be better if we didn't try to arouse any suspicion. And I think we should also check if there are any guests who stayed here from the time that the incidents started…"

"Leff worg o vhat afer 'rekfast," Kinta said, his words indistinguishable through a mouthful of food. Kazuma, who was sitting next to him, frowned at the obvious lapse in manners. "Kinta, don't talk with your mouth full, it's disgusting."

"And I'm not sure I understood that," Ryu admitted, laying down his chopsticks for a moment to wipe his mouth with a napkin.

Kinta swallowed. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I was just saying, 'let's work on that after breakfast'," he explained. "After all, I'll need the energy."

Kyu grinned and stood up. "Well, in that case, I'll get a second helping!"

"I'll go with you," Shizuko said quickly, picking up her empty plate. _Need food, need food..._

"You're feeling better?" Megu asked, looking up as Shizuko pushed back her chair and rose to her feet.

"Ye-ah. I'm still kind of hungry, though."

"I'll come along."

"Me as well," Ryu said, getting up. "I need something to drink…"

As the four of them made their way to the buffet, Kyu headed straight for another side of the table, while Megumi pointed out a few dishes and recommended them with a grin.

Ryu, on the other hand, was pouring himself a glass of water at the beverage counter and studying some of the people who had also come for their own servings. Most of them appeared to be ordinary guests, and not many of them caught his eye as someone who would do anything to the polo club. He continued his scrutinizing, however, and his gaze fell on Megumi and Shizuko, who were busily browsing through the food choices.

Sighing quietly at the fact that he was getting slightly bored at the lack of intrigue that the morning proposed, he made his way towards his classmates.

And that was when he saw her. At first, he had been startled by the intense flash of red that had suddenly crossed his line of sight, but as his observation skills kicked in, he realized what it had been. A teenage girl, about as tall as he was, had breezed past him towards the food laid out in chafing dishes. She stopped about a few inches away from where his two female classmates were talking and proceeded to consider her own choice of food, or so it seemed. As Ryu continued on his way, the girl turned in his direction and gave him a coy smile. Not wanting to be rude, he only gave her a brief nod and turned instead to his classmates. The redhead frowned. Choosing to ignore this, he decided to direct his attention to his friends.

"Megumiiiiiiii," Shizuko was saying. "I'm already starved as it is."

"Oh, all right, if you say you're fine, you can get whatever you want," Megumi looked disapproving, but sighed and grinned up at Ryu as he made his presence known. "Hey, Ryu."

"Hi, Megu," he replied, bestowing upon her a small smile. "Where's Kyu?"

"He's still getting his share of second helpings. It's hard to keep an eye on him, though, he's way too excited," the girl shook her head.

"Well, that's the Kyu we know," he remarked, shrugging.

"As long as he can finish it all," said Shizuko, scooping a bit of fried egg onto her plate and setting it next to a piece of ham.

"Oh, that won't be a problem, Kyu's got a—oh!" Megumi stopped in the middle of her statement to exclaim in surprise.

At that moment, a hand had overturned a small bowl of oatmeal on Megumi's blouse. Ryu and Shizuko both widened their eyes in surprise—that had not been an accident. Setting down her plate, Shizuko picked up a napkin from a nearby stand and handed it to Megumi, at the same time scanning down the table for the possible culprit.

As the bowl's sticky contents made their way down the fabric, Megu quickly grabbed the napkin to wipe it off. "What a mess…" she mumbled miserably. "This was a new blouse, too…"

"_Daijobu ka_, Megu?" Ryu asked in concern.

"I think so…"

"Oh, I'm sorry," A voice emanated from Ryu's left, the apology ringing false to their ears.

It was none other than the redheaded girl who had eyed Class Q's resident _bishounen_ earlier. Shaking his head, Ryu waved off the apology with an "Its okay," and focused his attention on Megumi. Obviously, the girl was disappointed that her plan had backfired, so she tried a different approach. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked in an ominously sweet voice.

"I think _we_ can handle this," Shizuko interrupted. "Thanks for your…_concern_."

The stranger looked visibly pissed off, opening her mouth to say something else, but once again, Shizuko cut her off, "You can leave now."

The guest, thoroughly annoyed now, gave an audible "Hmph!" and went off in a huff.

However controlled her voice was, Ryu noticed that Shizuko had clenched her fist around her fork, looking as though she might stab someone with it. Ryu gave her a warning look, one that obviously said, "Don't make any trouble," but her eyes only flashed in anger. He shook his head, signifying that picking a fight wasn't worth it. With a sigh, Shizuko put down the fork.

"_Daijobu ka_, Megu?" she asked, her voice rather strained.

"Yes," Megumi replied, checking on her blouse. "I think I'll be able to wash this out, no worries."

"That's good."

Kyu arrived at their side, his plate laden with random choices from the buffet. "I saw what happened," he said, a frown crossing his usually cheerful features. "Is everything all right?"

Ryu nodded. "Yeah. Still, it was a bit of a nasty thing to do."

"She just wanted attention," muttered Shizuko. "That little…"

She made a violent gesture with her hands.

They returned to their table, their moods rather bleak. Noticing the change in atmosphere, Kinta and Kazuma prodded them for details on what had happened at the buffet. At the explanation of the incident, Kinta reacted in almost the same way as Shizuko—smacking his fist into his other hand and exclaiming that it was uncalled for, while Kazuma was a bit more rational and said that it should be reported or something along those lines. However, Megumi waved it off, saying, "It may have not been an accident, but if we make a fuss, we'll only be drawing attention to ourselves, and I don't think that's a good idea…"

"Like it or not, Megumi's right," Ryu said, fixing his eyes on the rest of them. "We'll just have to let this one slide. It was just a food spill."

Shizuko gave him a vehement look across the table, but Ryu gave her such a stern warning glare that she pursed her lips and turned away.

Everyone continued eating, but the mood had been ruined a little. No one bothered to make any more conversation.

* * *

After breakfast, Kinta and Kyu went on to the registration building with Kazuma, leaving Ryu and Shizuko to accompany Megumi back to the beach house as she changed her ruined blouse. Shizuko was about to follow her, but before she could ascend the stairs to the second floor, Ryu took Shizuko by the arm, saying, "Shizuko-san, I want to have a word with you."

The shorter girl was about to say something in protest, but the grip on her elbow was quite strong, so she remained quiet as he pulled her into the kitchen.

Ryu folded his arms as he closed the kitchen door behind them. "I realize that you're not very pleased about what happened earlier at breakfast."

"Of course I'm not," Shizuko replied hotly. "If you think I'm going to just stand by and let that girl—"

"Nevertheless, Shizuko-san," Ryu pressed on, "You can't just let your impulses get away with you."

Shizuko took a deep breath and let it out in a huff, sounding frustrated.

"This is the first time I've seen you react so violently, Class A aside, at least. What's wrong?"

Shizuko clamped her mouth shut, frowning as she tried to phrase her problem. "It's just that…Megumi has been trying to be nice to me lately, and I'm a bit uncertain about how to be a better friend to her as well. I got mad when that girl poured oatmeal on her because Megumi's just so nice and didn't deserve something like that, getting in the line of fire because that girl wanted _your_ attention. It's like she has no regard for anyone else and I got mad."

Shizuko crossed her own arms, attempting to look defiant. "I know that what I would have done was wrong, but I can't help it—I just don't like seeing anyone get bullied or pushed around. I want to do something to even the score."

"Two wrongs don't make a right," Ryu remided her. "Trying to even the score is like revenge—that's what turns a lot of people into murderers and killers."

She sighed heavily, rolling her eyes in a different direction. "Then what do you propose I do, Amakusa-_sensei_?" she retorted, her frown getting deeper.

"They'll get their comeuppance. Best to just let fate handle that. Don't try to speed things up."

"_Fine_," she muttered. "Are we done here?"

"One more thing. Try not to get into trouble."

"Do I have a choice in the matter?"

Ryu sighed and pushed the door open. "Fine," he said. "Just…" Another heavy sigh. "Just go."

Shizuko took a step forward to leave, but before actually stepping over the threshold, she stopped.

"Look, I'm sorry if I'm making things harder for you. It's just that…ugh, I don't know. Forget it," she said, waving it off. "It doesn't matter."

Ryu narrowed his eyes at her as she left, not fully understanding.

But then again, he wasn't sure he had ever fully understood their new member in the first place.

* * *

**Rants: **Finally, I've got this fanfic up and running again. I'm sorry for not updating quickly (again), I was avoiding the PC and internet for a while because I had so little time to complete an application for a college I was planning to transfer to. Anyway, that's all for now.

**Announcement: **I'm not sure this is the best time for it, but well, here goes: I'm going to be editing ALL my works here on and I mean edit. Okay, perhaps the better term is to rewrite them. After going back and reading my old fanfics, all I can say is…well, I sucked. Seriously. Compared to now, anyway. I guess I was too much of a fangirl at the time to pay attention to how I was writing, but considering that they were done almost three years ago, I guess it's not all that surprising. To edit them, well, I'll be doing the rewriting on my computer, and when all the chapters of one story are edited and completed, I'll delete the original story in my profile and post the new version of it right away, so it'll be done all in one go. I guess it won't take as long as I usually do, since everything's all laid out for me, but I have other details to add and more development to undergo. I know it seems rather, well, stupid to rewrite a story when it's been read already by a lot of people, but I really wanted for all my stories to be very linked and totally associated with one another, like a series. And if they're not keeping up with one another in terms of writing style and other things, I think it's worthless. So there you go. I hope that it's going to be fine with you lot. Thanks.


	6. Skulls of the Past

**Here's the chapter. I won't delay you guys from the update, so just wait for my rants at the end. THANKYOU for returning to the fic that almost seemed abandoned.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Skulls of the Past**

Megumi leaned over the staircase's banister just in time to see Shizuko walking out of the kitchen. She ambled down the rest of the steps with a smile, but it faded as soon as she noticed Shizuko's bleak mood.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Shizuko scratched at the back of one of her ears. "It's nothing," she said, shrugging casually. She cocked her head to look at Megumi. "You ready to go? Kazuma, Kinta and Kyu are at the Registration building."

"I am, but where's Ryu gone off to?"

"I'm right here." Ryu seemed to have overheard the conversation and stepped out of the kitchen as if on cue.

"Oh." Megu looked a little embarrassed.

Shizuko sighed heavily. "Let's just go," she muttered, tucking several wayward strands of hair behind her left ear. Megumi let out a gasp of surprise. "Shizuko-san!"

"Eh?" she asked. "What is it?"

"Your ears!"

Shizuko looked confused for a moment, and then, as Megumi and Ryu both stared at her in shock, she burst into laughter and pulled her hair back. "Are you talking about my piercings?"

Megu nodded as she gazed with interest at the different earrings on Shizuko's ears. On her left one, there were three earrings. The space on her right earlobe for an earring remained empty.

"When did you get them?" Megu asked. "I know that when we first met you weren't wearing any earrings, but had a piercing on your right earlobe."

Shizuko grinned. "I get a piercing for each case that's been important to me."

"Interesting way of marking your accomplishments," Ryu commented as he stepped closer to inspect her left ear, which, by far, had the most earrings. "So which cases are these?"

"The one on my earlobe marks the murders at Kokuryo High," she explained. "As for the others…one was for the return of Pluto and the other one was for the Nine Circles of Hell case."

She spoke about them with an incredibly casual air, but Ryu furrowed his brow as he continued to study the innocent-looking pieces of jewelry. Something about them bothered him, like they had some other purpose.

"And the one on your right earlobe?" Megu suddenly asked, causing him to snap back to reality.

"I've had that since I was a kid. Doesn't really mark anything significant," Shizuko was saying, still maintaining that impression of indifference.

"It's so surprising, though," Megumi said.

Looking eager to get the attention off of her, Shizuko waved her hands impatiently. "Everyone else is waiting at the Registration building, let's just go."

* * *

Ryu locked the house door behind the two girls as the three of them went on their way to meet Kyu and the others. Megumi, who was leading, was naturally a few steps further away from Ryu and Shizuko. He seized this opportunity to tell her something that had been nagging at his mind since the revelation of the ear piercings.

"Shizuko-san," he said quietly.

"What is it, Ryu-kun?" she asked, sounding a little apprehensive.

"Are you sure that's all that there is to the piercing habit?"

"Of course it is," Shizuko seemed defensive. "Why're you asking?"

"Because they look like they hurt."

She stopped walking, turning around to stare at him. Ryu was serious, and when he had spoken, his voice sounded a little grave.

As she opened her mouth to say something, he shook his head. "Never mind. Perhaps I was assuming too much."

"Don't think badly of it, Ryu-kun," she said, choosing to answer even if it was not needed. "Obviously, getting your ears pierced will hurt, but it isn't a big deal. I've had worse."

"Such as?"

"I'm afraid I can't grace that with a proper answer," she replied, running a hand through her hair.

"I won't press for details."

"You're being surprisingly lenient." She raised an eyebrow at him. "It's not like you."

When he didn't say anything, Shizuko suddenly smirked. "Did my brother ask you for a favor before I left home, Ryu-kun?"

Ryu turned to look at her, seeming stunned. "How did you know?"

"Ah, so he did."

And Ryu almost kicked himself. It had been a trick question.

"He asked to make sure that I don't get in trouble, right?" She grinned. "I kinda suspected it when you told me to be more careful, back in the kitchen."

"Well, he did," Ryu said, sounding defeated.

"I'm not surprised. _Nii-san_'s been worried about me and my well-being since…well, forever. I'm not sure I can promise that I won't be in trouble though. It usually finds me."

"Well, don't help trouble along," he frowned. "Don't go running after dangerous things."

"_Hai, hai,_ Amakusa-_sensei,_" she grinned. When he looked at her doubtfully, she sighed and stuffed her hand in her jeans pocket, rummaging for something. "I wasn't really planning on wearing this, since I haven't worn it in a long time," she mumbled. "But if it'll make you feel better…"

She pulled out a small silver earring from her jeans pocket. "Do you know what this is?"

Ryu raised his eyebrow at the little trinket. "It's a skull."

"Amazing powers of observation. Do you know what it's for?"

"…no."

"Skulls, whether made from bone or silver, were used as charms," Shizuko explained. "It's been said that they were used to ward off death."

When he looked alarmed at the mention of the word 'death', she laughed. "I'm sure it won't go to that extreme, Ryu-kun," she said, carefully slipping the earring on her right earlobe. The little skull grinned there ominously, dangling.

"But this'll at least remind me not to go running after trouble. Does that satisfy you, Amakusa-_sensei_?"

"You certainly know a lot about these things," Ryu remarked. "You told us about the significance of the horseshoe in class. Signs, symbols, charms…is it a fascination of yours?"

"I've been reading about them since I was a little girl," Shizuko answered. "They're interesting."

"They're a big help, sometimes."

Without realizing it, their conversation had taken them to the Registration building, where Megumi was tapping her foot impatiently at the entrance. She had evidently been waiting for them for a little while.

"What took you both so long?" she asked, just the slightest bit annoyed.

Shizuko looked embarrassed. "Sorry," she said.

Upon entering the Registration building, they found Kinta and Kyu huddled over Kazuma and his laptop. The lady at the counter looked more than just a bit annoyed at the presence of the boys in the lobby, but tolerated them nonetheless.

"We got the guest list," Kyu announced as they caught up. "Kazuma's just organizing it right now."

"Finishing up," Kazuma said. "Maybe I'll run a search on some of these people."

"Do you think Kinta had to show off his DDS badge here?" asked Shizuko, looking at Megumi.

"Considering the number of times he's had to depend on it, I'd say yes," she replied, frowning.

"You guys are mean," Kinta said huffily. "For your information I didn't have to. We bumped into Sakagami-san here earlier. He made the arrangements right away, knowing that we'd want to get the guest list as soon as possible."

"That's convenient," Ryu said, joining the huddle. "I wonder what he was doing here before then, though."

"Who cares?"

"We didn't see him at breakfast," Megumi said, remembering.

"Maybe he had an earlier meal," Kazuma reasoned. "We came there pretty late."

"I suppose so…" Megu sighed.

"Why were you interested to know, anyway?" Kyu then turned the question to Ryu, who merely shrugged. "It's only natural that we get a little information about Sakagami-san. Just because he's DDS's client doesn't mean he doesn't come under suspicion."

"Come on, Ryu, he's a nervous little thing," Kinta said, standing up and doing a rather silly, yet accurate impression of their host. "A-a-anythin' y'want, g-gentlemen, a-anyt-t-thin' at all," he stammered, making Shizuko snort in laughter.

Ryu sighed. "I suppose you have a point…but that still doesn't rule him out."

Kazuma suddenly whipped his head up, frowning at all of them. "Maybe it'd be better if we continued this discussion in a more private place?"

He jerked his head towards the registration counter, where the woman handling the documents seemed intent on picking up every word of their conversation.

They all looked at each other. And within seconds everyone scrambled out of their seats, mumbling lame excuses.

"I'll check out what's left of the buffet."

"Maybe there are some good souvenirs at the shop!"

"I have to go to the bathroom," Shizuko muttered, standing up. Megumi simply nodded in acknowledgement and went in yet another direction.

Apparently Class Q had just suddenly made an unspoken agreement to meet back at the beach house in a couple of minutes.

* * *

Shizuko felt her muscles tense just the tiniest bit. This felt pretty nerve-wracking. They should have asked first who among the staff knew about their being investigators.

It was particularly bothersome how this funny feeling in her gut kept forming—intuition, perhaps. Since she'd entered the polo club—since her first night here, she'd been feeling uneasy, like someone had been watching her.

As she walked down the short corridor leading to the rest rooms, she barely acknowledged a dark blue blur saunter past her. A moment later, a strong hand had grabbed her arm and pushed her against a wall, knocking the breath out of her.

A pair of bright green eyes bored into hers. "Miss me, Shizuko?"

Her heart leapt into her throat as she recognized the face whom the eyes belonged to. Her shocked gaze traveled over his prominent cheekbones, traced the scar along his left cheek, and veered back towards the catlike green irises. "Fujiwara-senpai!" she gasped.

"How formal of you. I thought we used to be friends."

"K-Kenichi…senpai."

The name hadn't left her lips for four years. Back during a time when she was a completely different person. Back when he had been her—she hated to remember it—partner-in-crime.

"Long time no see, my little princess," he drawled, using the nickname he used to address her with several years ago.

"Don't call me that," she snapped, regaining the use of her tongue. Her eyes raked the spiky, blond hair arranged messily with hair gel. "I see you haven't changed much."

He reached up with his hand to tug on a lock of her hair. "I could say the same for you." He smirked. "Ever since I snipped off your hair you've kept it short."

"Never mind me. First things first—What are you doing here?"

He raised a delicate blond eyebrow. "I _live_ here," he replied smugly. When he saw the look of disbelief cross her features, he grinned wolfishly, making the thin scar marring his cheekbone twitch ever-so-slightly. "All right, maybe I don't live here _all_ the time, but my father is a member of this club. Which, therefore, gives me every single right to be here. So what's _your_ excuse?"

"I'd almost forgotten just how rich and smug you are," she said coolly, falling back into her usual composure.

"As for me, I'm proud to say that I haven't forgotten you." His eyes traveled down her form. "Not a single inch of you. But you haven't answered my question. What's _your_ excuse, then, for being here in this extremely out-of-the-way area?"

"It wasn't my choice," she snapped. "I'm here on an investigation with DDS. Which, of course, you might have already deduced without needing to ask."

"So I was right. I've been, shall we say, keeping an eye on you."

"No wonder I've been having this creepy feeling crawling up my spine lately. Been keeping tabs on me? You're so low."

"Shame, I thought for a moment that you'd decided to pay me a sweet little visit."

Shizuko didn't know whether to push him away and run, or to stay where she was and continue the less-than-pleasant conversation.

He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her right ear, his eyes roaming towards the charm hanging off it. "So, Shizuko. You still have the nerve to wear our precious little trinket." His fingers wrapped around the tiny little silver skull. Her breath caught in her throat as he tugged on it, threatening to wrench it painfully off her earlobe.

"So do you," she retorted, eyeing the silver skull, not unlike her own, dangling off his left ear.

"Of course I do," he said smugly. "I need it to ward off death, now, don't I? What with all the stuff I've been trying to pull off recently."

"Does your agenda usually include stealing ladies' purses in the street?"

"Purse-snatching is just an old hobby, princess."

"I told you to stop calling me that."

"So how has it been with the famous detective school? You're obviously pulling off the cheesy, good-girl act."

"I'm fine, thanks for asking, unlike you."

"Don't forget that you owe me a lot." He traced a cool finger over her cheek. "If not for me, well, I should hate to see how you would be now."

"You didn't have to help me," she said, her voice strained.

"I had other plans for you." His hand gripped her chin. "I couldn't let you suffer like that."

"That's rich, considering you were the one who seemed intent on making my life miserable." She raised her eyes to meet his. "You call me princess, and then you call me a traitor. You kick me out of our group, leave me to fend for myself and then you come to my aid when I'm hurt. What _is_ it that you _want_, senpai?"

"I thought that it had been obvious since the beginning, Shizuko. It's you I want."

"In what context?"

"Whatever you can think of, and whatever is running through your creative little mind."

She slapped away his hand, which had been grasping her chin moments ago. "Forget it. I don't want to have anything to do with you."

Moving away, he leaned against the wall opposite the one he had slammed her against. "Fine. Your funeral."

Her head snapped up to meet his gaze. "Don't tell me you're behind all these things at the Polo Club."

He snorted. "Have you ever seen me ride a horse, Shizuko? It's appalling. You're obviously accusing the wrong person. You're looking for a damned good expert, not a low-profile prankster."

"And to think you would have been the first on my list. You and I share the same knowledge about signs and symbols. The upside-down horseshoe would be an excellent touch, though a childish one."

"Is it not a bonus on your part, princess?" he leaned over her, taking advantage of his full height, as he was two full years older than her. "I could give you little push in the right direction."

"You'd help me? As much as you hate authority and justice, you'd help me?" she looked doubtful.

"Why wouldn't I, princess?"

"…what's the catch?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. Fujiwara Kenichi was not one for being helpful, not without something in exchange.

He smiled, seeming almost sinister, and leaned closer, his nose almost touching hers. "Kiss me."

"What?" she said, sounding appalled.

"You heard me."

Her eyes darted ever-so-slightly to his cheek, but he shook his head. "Nuh-uh." He pointed to his lips. "Right here."

"Jerk," she said, pushing him away. "The answer is no."

"Such a sad choice, princess," he said. "You know I would be a very useful addition."

"We can handle it without your services, thank you. And stop calling me princess," she snapped.

"Why shouldn't I? You are, after all, my little princess," he said, pronouncing the title with a strange twang.

"I'm _not_ your princess," she muttered. She looked up at him defiantly. "Not anymore." She started to move away from him, but he caught her arm yet again.

"We're not finished." His voice was suddenly icy.

"I believe we are," she snapped back at him. "You finished with me four years ago, and so did I. I'm not exactly thrilled to be back in your company."

"You should be more careful about what you say, _princess_," he said. "You know my skills haven't waned. I can make things easier for you and your little group of investigators…or more difficult. It may only be little pranks, small signs of mischief here and there, but you know better than anyone else how enjoyable it is to drive people crazy over trivial things."

"Don't you dare try anything—" she began, but he cut her off.

"What's there to stop me? Nothing, Shizuko, nothing. I gave you a choice. You gave me an answer, and you're going to live up to it like the stubborn person that you've always been. But think of your classmates. They don't know, do they? They won't understand—and you won't tell them because you're scared."

He let her go, leaving her to lean against the wall.

"If you hurt them…" she said tentatively.

"You know our policy, Shizuko. We don't hurt normally hurt anyone physically. Just drive them crazy."

"Were you thinking that, the night we tried to pull off the biggest job we'd ever done?"

She saw him pause, and then turn to look at her.

"Well, I suppose that's why were so lucky to have you around then, eh, princess?"

* * *

Ryu spotted Shizuko running towards the beach house from a bit of a distance. Sensing trouble, he waited till she arrived at the porch. When she did, she leaned against the railing, panting for air.

For anyone, she simply would have looked tired from the exertion from running, but he could see the look of fear in her eyes, like those of an animal being hunted.

"What happened?" he asked her. "Did someone—" he stopped himself when she raised a hand to tell him to be quiet.

"Do you remember your promise to _Nii-san_ to keep me safe?"

"Yes?"

"Don't."

"Why?"

"Because you won't have time to, given the fact that my former partner-in-crime is here."

Ryu looked stunned at the news. "Are you talking about that guy on the skateboard?"

"Yes. Oh, God, Ryu-kun, he's here."

"How? Shizuko-san, what's he doing here?"

"I'd momentarily forgotten that his father is rich enough to be a member here."

Ryu was silent for a few moments, then asked, "Did you speak to him? Or will he make trouble for us?"

"I gave it my best shot but he made me an offer I had to refuse."

Before Ryu could ask for a proper explanation, Kinta came running up the slope towards their lodge. "Sorry guys," he said, clapping the two of them on the back. "I got held up at the main building. Anyway, let's go in, I don't think the little brat's gonna like it if we delay this much longer."

Shizuko let out a little laugh, but it didn't sound very enthusiastic.

With that, the three of them entered the house to hear what Kazuma had in store for them.

* * *

**Rants:** AAAAAAAGH. I am sorry this took so long. I had exams. And tests. And all sorts of other school stuff that prevented me from writing. Forgive me, I know you all must have thought I abandoned it. I never abandon a fic though. So I'm sorry. Really really really sorry.

Thanks to **Mask Rider Roy** for still believing in me and emailing me once in a while about the current situation here. And my Y!M contact **songokulover** for pestering me all the time for the update.

And most especially to you guys who actually came back to read this update.

THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU.

With that said,** PLEASE REVIEW!**


	7. Narrowing things down

**Thank God for sembreak. I HATED final exams. **

**Here's the chapter. Sorry about the delay.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Narrowing things down**

Kinta shut the door behind him as the rest of Class Q assembled around the coffee table in the sitting room.

Kazuma was already scrolling through the list in his laptop and opening up several windows, some containing photographs, others filled with text that Kinta couldn't understand. He shook his head. He'd never fully understand what the kid would be doing all the time with that laptop of his.

While obviously inept when it came to technology, Kinta wasn't a total idiot. In fact, he considered himself quite perceptive. Though it wasn't easily explained how his instinct guided him down the right path in an investigation, he depended highly on it, and, well, he got lucky.

It made him a good judge of character, at least. And that was pretty useful if he wanted to narrow down suspects.

So, the moment he had met Ryu and Shizuko at the front porch, Kinta had gotten a hunch that something was wrong.

Over the course of several cases, the two undeniably had a pretty close connection. As much as he would have loved to tease them both about it, he knew it couldn't be deep enough to be considered puppy love. That sort of thing was reserved for Megumi and Kyu, after all.

He sensed a problem between them, mostly on Shizuko's part.

Still, he had to set his thoughts aside as Kazuma began running down the list of guests at the Polo club.

"Of course, we'll begin with the people on top. There's Arakida Junichiro, the owner of the club himself. The Kajawara Polo club was started by him, Sakagami Isamu, and another person, Ogata Hideaki. Ogata's not listed here anymore, though."

"Why's that?" asked Kyu.

"Well, the thing is, he's the owner of the other club, the Kajawara's rival, the Saigo Country Club…"

"What?"

"Yeah, interesting fun fact, isn't it?"

"But why would he leave the Kajawara _and_ start a new club?" Megumi asked.

"Well, its obvious isn't it? They must have had some kind of argument that Ogata was bitter about, so he started his own country club. He probably plans to put them out of business, if he becomes more popular."

"Either that, or it's a ploy to make more money amongst themselves," Ryu suggested.

"But they're rivals," Kinta said, looking surprised. "How's that possible?"

"Kajawara is number one in this business, and Saigo's number two next to it, right now. They can merge together into a much bigger club, but over time the business may go down due to their worker's negligence," Ryu explained. "If they want to earn more, they need competition. If they stay as separate powers and work as rivals in the business, they can earn a lot more money. In the end it'd all be going to the same source, if they're indeed working together."

"Ryu's right," agreed Kazuma. "That's a possibility. There have been several businesses with the same kind of product under different names, but actually have the same owner. If Kajawara and Saigo _are_working together, even the story of the original owners breaking apart could fuel the drive of more customers."

"But right now, Saigo's under suspicion," Megu reminded them. "Don't you think that that could rule out the possibility of them secretly working together?"

"But with all the trouble happening at Kajawara, people would go to Saigo. If the money is all going to the same place, then Kajawara wouldn't be losing any money at all," Shizuko mused. "That's what I call a publicity stunt."

"Then why would they contact DDS in the first place?" Kinta asked.

"Because it's not going right anymore?"

"Okay maybe we should move on," Kazuma interrupted, tapping at the keys on his laptop. "Let's just stick to facts, shall we?

"Right, next we've got Sakagami Isamu. As you all know, he's one of the owners of Kajawara, and the financial manager. He's a very close friend of the owner, so we can't underestimate the amount of influence he has in this club. Other details are sketchy, there isn't much information about his family. He does have a wife though, but it's currently unknown where she is now and what other relation she has to the club..." Kazuma trailed off.

"That's odd." Kyu remarked.

"Yeah I know, normally I'd be able to pull up more details, but maybe this just needs more time to find."

"I think there are relatively few guests in the club at this time," Megu said.

"Yeah I know, that's 'cause it's not the peak season yet. IN about a week or two, people are gonna be lining up and entering the club. Maybe everyone else is still on reservation."

"So exactly how many families are staying around?" Kinta asked, peering at the screen. "Ooh, who's that chick?" he said, pointing at a photograph of a blond, blue-eyed girl on the screen.

"Ah. She's from the U.S., Kinta, her name is Alexandra Swift," Kazuma grinned. "Don't think you'd be able to pronounce that properly."

"Doesn't matter. Who _is_ she, then?"

"Well, she's the daughter of an elite businessman from the United States," Kazuma explained. "They own a pretty big company there, and their family comes here for vacations and, of course, business talks and opportunities. In any case, she's out of your league. The only reason I can nab this photograph of her is because she's an expert horseback rider, and she's been recognized for her skill throughout several magazines. She's good at polo."

"Aw, man."

"Well, then there's the Fujiwara family." Kazuma peered at his screen.

Shizuko exchanged a significant look with Ryu, but refused to disclose any information, or any sign of familiarity.

"Fujiwara Eisuke owns a chain of hospitals around Japan. Actually the nearest hospital from here, despite this club's obvious distance from the city, is under his ownership. His wife died several years ago, but he has a sixteen-year-old son as of now. Not much information on the son though, I think they try to keep him out of the media until he's of age."

Shizuko rolled her eyes and muttered something along the lines of, "That figures."

Kazuma heard. "Something you'd like to share, Shizuko-san?"

Shizuko shook her head. "Nah, it just figures that that sort of thing would happen."

Kazuma raised an eyebrow at her, but shrugged it off. "Anyway, he's a regular client here, Fujiwara-san. He's also a close friend of Arakida, and in the past he's made several rich donations, not just to the club, but various…educational institutions."

Shizuko frowned.

"Anyway the last family here is the Jeppensha family. Atsumichi Jeppensha and his wife seem to be the typical rich husband and wife. Oh, right, his current wife is actually his second wife. He has a daughter from his first wife, who apparently is one of the guests here. Her name's Eriko Jeppensha. I think she might be familiar to you, Megu."

"Eh? Why?" she asked.

Kazuma turned the screen to face her. "Isn't she the one who dumped her breakfast on you?"

Sure enough, a photo of the red-headed girl they had seen earlier during breakfast was on the screen.

"So that's who she was," Shizuko muttered. "How'd you get that? And I don't think we told you that the person who dumped oatmeal on Megumi was a red-head."

"Well, it was just a guess, since there are barely any other young girls in this polo club save for her and Alexandra, and Alexandra wouldn't dare make trouble in a foreign country, it would be all over the papers in a minute. As for getting the photo, the security cameras were a big help."

"Way to go, Kazuma," Shizuko grinned. "Impressive."

"Yeah, well, in case you all didn't know, they were all staying here at the time the trouble started at the polo club, so they're all kind of under suspicion, at least if you take that into consideration. Still, I don't see any motive for most of the guests."

"Then it's our job to find out," Kyu grinned.

* * *

After Kazuma had given them all the information he could, Kyu and Megu decided to set off in the direction of the stables to find the stables, as they needed to check out the scene at the stall of the stolen horse, Kammei.

Meanwhile, Shizuko had gone upstairs to lean on the balcony, glumly staring out at the ocean.

"Why the long face?" said a voice from behind her.

Shizuko turned around. "Kinta. What're you doing here?"

The older teen shrugged. "Saw you earlier with Ryu and wondered what your problem was. Is there something about this club that's bothering you?"

"It's not really the club, it's more of the people in it," Shizuko replied as Kinta went up to lean on the railing next to her.

"Is there a person in particular?"

Shizuko sighed heavily. "I don't knowwww."

Kinta shrugged and ruffled her hair. "Hey, I know I'm not as sharp as Kyu or Ryu, or as good with cool stuff like Kazuma, but I know my instincts. And if they tell me I'm on the right path, then I know I am. Like right now, I can tell you've got some issues, but you can't tell us."

The girl pouted. "That's about it."

Kinta grinned. "See, my instincts are the best."

"Ha, ha."

"Hey, I'm not gonna pry into your problems. But you can tell me as soon as you're ready to tell Class Q, all right?"

She nodded mutely.

Kinta left her to her thoughts on the balcony, and promptly bumped into Ryu in the hallway.

"How is she?" asked Ryu, having spotted Shizuko sulking on the balcony.

"Well, she's got problems she needs to sort out. She seems fine, but hopefully her issues get solved along with this case. She hasn't been too happy since this case was given to us, even back in DDS."

Kinta looked back at Ryu. "You know, what, she reminds me a lot of how you used to be, a long time ago."

"How's that?" Ryu looked surprised.

"Heh, you're not the only one who knows how to keep a secret."

Kinta clapped him on the back, making him wince. "Ah well, I'll leave this to you. See ya!"

Ryu rubbed the back of his neck as Kinta walked off down the hallway and down the stairs into the kitchen. _That hurt._

Shizuko turned around as he stepped onto the balcony. "Hi."

"I'm going to assume that your former partner-in-crime is the son of Fujiwara Eisuke," Ryu said, deciding to be straightforward.

"Yep." She fiddled with her wrists.

"Did he do anything to you? You seemed upset when you came back to the house."

"He threatened to make things harder for us if I didn't—" she stopped, momentarily reddening.

"If you didn't what?" Ryu raised his eyebrows.

Shizuko brought her fingers to her temple, massaging it to keep herself composed. "If I didn't kiss him."

Ryu's eyes widened, and he resisted the urge to excuse himself and leave. "Erm. Well, did you?"

She gave him an exasperated look. "Remember what I said earlier when you asked me if he'd make trouble for us? I gave it my best shot, but he made me an offer that I had to refuse."

He shifted uncomfortably. "Well, that's certainly a strange offer."

"I've had weirder. But this one is not going to happen even if I do owe him something."

"What's that?"

"My life."

* * *

**Rants:**Well, this could certainly have been written better. Sorry about that. I think I'm still reeling from the aftereffects of exams. Sorry if I'm still not revealing too much about what happened between Shizuko and Kenichi, that's reserved for later. Draw your own conclusions, then.

Sorry about the lateness of this update, I had exams, and my computer recently had several problems. Hopefully I can write more. Since I'm on my semestral break. Thanks a lot if you've read it all the way to here.

Thanks for all your support.

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	8. A Stable Boy, Accused

**OMG, is it true? Yes, it is! It's a new chapter! **

**Haha. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: A Stable boy, Accused**

Kammei, the missing horse, had already disappeared for a few days, but his stall was not hard to find—it stood out among the other stalls with all the bright yellow crime scene tape all over the entrance.

Kyu checked to see if there was anyone watching, and then worked his way through the sloppily placed tape. Megumi followed suit, gingerly entering the wide stall.

Around them, several horses neighed softly, but otherwise didn't make any fuss over the teenagers coming into their stables.

"It's probably a good thing that these horses don't mind people so much," said Kyu, tugging on a pair of gloves from the DDS handbook.

"Just don't make a big fuss, or bother them," Megu said. "Remember, we're probably not supposed to be here, so leave as little evidence of our investigation behind."

"The crime scene's probably already been processed, though," Kyu said, sounding disappointed. "They got all the firsthand details."

"Then it's our job to see if they missed anything."

"This would be easier if we had access to the police photos…"

"Well according to the report that DDS gave us…" Megu paused to check her memory. "The normal feeding time for the horses is at around nine o'clock at night. While the horses can still be used at late in the evening, they have to log it in at the log book outside. Anyone would have access to these stables."

"Then shouldn't someone be staying around here to see if anyone does come in?" Kyu asked.

"Yeah, the stable boy. Unfortunately, he'd fallen asleep at the time the horse was stolen."

"What if he was sedated…?"

"The police didn't take that into consideration since his record showed that he'd fallen asleep on the job more than once."

"…that's not very professional. Why hasn't anyone fired him? Not that I'd want him fired, but that's an unusual kind of character to find in an important business."

"Sakagami-san vouched for his good work and integrity. So did the owner."

"I guess that's pretty good reason. But if I were that stable boy, I'd feel pretty guilty about falling asleep on the job…"

"Yeah, you bet I do," said a resentful voice next to them.

Kyu and Megu jumped, surprised at the sudden intrusion. A sulky-looking young man in his early twenties raised a hand gloomily from the stall next to them. Behind him, a palomino whinnied and stamped its foot on the dirt floor of its stall.

As the pair of young detectives gaped at his sudden appearance, he leaned on the wooden divider between the stall they were in, and the stall he was working in. His jeans were chuffed with a lot of dirt, and his work boots had muddy brown stains on the soles. His red plaid button-down was wrinkled as though he'd been in it for days, and his mildly tanned complexion gave the impression of him getting sun occasionally. Thick brown curls were pulled back harshly by a hastily tied bandanna, though several strands escaped its confines.

"I know I should be tellin' you off for being behind the yellow tape, but it looks like you're actually using your brains, not like the police," he said. Disappointment swam behind his dark eyes.

"So you're the stable boy who was here the night Kammei was stolen?" Kyu asked.

"Yep, that's me. Asano Hisashi, at your service. I'm just glad I've still got my job—Sakagami-sama was kind enough to vouch for me, like you said." He shifted uncomfortably. "Hey, you're not gonna tell everyone I let you do your thing here, right? 'Cause he might fire me then."

"Sakagami-san gave us permission to look this place over," Megumi assured him. "So he knows we're here."

"Well, while we're here, then, do you mind telling us what you remember that night? Or if there was anything unusual before, or afterward?" Kyu piped up, taking the opportunity to interrogate the stable boy.

"I dunno about that night, since I was asleep," Hisashi replied sheepishly, "But I guess if you're here and asking me stuff, you should know all about the threats coming here. Sakagami-sama's trying to keep it quiet, but I heard him stuttering and going all dramatic about it when I passed by Arakida-sama's office a few days before Kammei was stolen. Arakida-sama told him to keep it hush-hush, and for Sakagami-sama's sake I've kept quiet too."

"You seem to admire him a lot," Megumi remarked.

"Well, he's not much to look at, but he's kept this business running really well, and he hired me himself to take care of these beauties," He patted the horse next to him. "Even though I'm still pretty young. Most people take a hired hand who's already had a lot of experience, but Sakagami-sama decided to see whether I could grow up with these horses. Now, the horses and I get along really well, and there hasn't been any trouble till…well, you know." He gestured at the stall that Kyu and Megu were standing in.

"Did you get in a lot of trouble?" Kyu asked.

"Naturally. I was the first person the police looked at when someone noticed the missing horse in the morning. I swore I had nothing to do with the theft, in fact, Sakagami-sama had to shake me several times before I woke up from my post near the door. I can't believe I messed up on night shift again. I stay awake more often than I fall asleep; really, nothing unusual's ever happened before. This is really the only time I ever really regret falling asleep on the job. I really thought I was gonna get fired, but yeah, Sakagami-sama still kept me."

"…wait, you said shift," Megu said. "Does that mean there's someone else on this job with you?"

"Yeah, there are several of us, but I'm here working on most of the show horses," he said with a grin. "The others work on the slightly less important horses. All the horses know each of us, but these show horses see me more often. As for the shifts, sometimes someone else keeps watch during the night instead of me. That way we all get some sleep."  
"Well, based on experience, has anyone every used these horses late at night?" Kyu asked curiously.

"Well, there're some people who like to train at night, but it'd be dangerous to go out and ride in the wilderness. For that, there's a fenced-in dirt area, close to the stables, so that they don't have to go far. That's just for show training, though, like trotting and galloping and occasionally, jumping, but not for races. Our races here aren't just the track oval type, we've got the entire property and the wilderness to go around in. Each contestant is given a selected course, but it all ends at the same area, and each course is exactly the same length. Oh, and it's carefully inspected several times before the races begin. It's real exciting. Er, but I've gone off-topic," he realized sheepishly. "But, well, yeah, it's pretty uncommon, but not rare that someone would actually use a horse late at night. Normally people go in to visit the horses, though not necessarily take them out."

"Do you think that someone would have to be familiar with these horses, to have been able to take Kammei out?" Megu asked.

"Oh yeah. There's no way you'd be able to take a horse without it knowing you and following you. And unless you've got a tow truck that can fit in here, there's no way you could make the horse sleep and then take it away. I think it's really likely that the Kammei followed whoever got him. And as much as I'd hate to think about it, maybe this was done by someone on the inside."

"What about that upside-down horseshoe note?" Kyu suddenly asked. "Where was it when this stall was inspected?"

Hisashi pointed at a nick in the back wall of the stall. "See that dent over there? One of the small kitchen knives stuck it right at that spot. By the way, the police said there were no fingerprints on it, so it's a dead end."

Kyu poked at the freshly scarred wood with his finger. "Wood isn't exactly difficult to puncture with a sharp object like a knife, but it would have taken some strength to push it in with one blow. This looks deep. And about not leaving fingerprints…the person would have had to hold it using something like cloth, or maybe he was wearing gloves. I don't know if he would have had a good grip on the knife then. And wouldn't the sudden blow startle the other horses?"

"Well, the wood here's pretty thick and sturdy, but soft, too, so it could have muffled the sound," Hisashi shrugged, tapping the wood. "If there'd been any noise, I wish it'd woken me up."

"It looked like a really clean job," Megu said. "The stall barely looks disturbed."

"Yeah, well, that's exactly why I'm still under suspicion," the stable boy said gloomily. "The police figure that since I'm closest to these horses I could've done it. Hmph. Anyone could have done it. Anyone who knows horses, anyway."

"Do you think Kammei was taken sometime after feeding time?" Kyu asked.

"Yeah, most likely. I remember giving all the horses their feed that night. And everything seemed in perfect order. I was at my desk over there near the entrance. After some time, everything went blank. Next thing I knew, Sakagami-sama was waking me up by shaking me awake and telling me one of the horses was missing."

"Does he normally come here every morning?" asked Megu.

"Not usually, but after the first threat he started coming here often, stopping by Seimei's stall and sometimes doing some work here himself. Maybe he was paranoid that something would go wrong among the horses, like poison in their feed or sharp objects in their saddles and bridles. While that's probably one tactic, I double-check every horse all the time before anyone uses them. Just an extra precaution."

"At least he's concerned." Kyu commented.

"Yeah, not like most rich folks." Hisashi looked at his watch. "Hey listen, I'm glad I got to talk with you all, but I've got to get back to work."

"Its fine, we were just finishing up here anyway." Kyu grinned. "Thanks for all your help."

"Hey, it's no big deal. Oh, and if you ever wanna try out riding for yourselves, just look for me, a'right? Asano Hisashi, don't forget the name."

"We won't," promised Megumi. "And we'll take you up on that offer sometime."

* * *

"Well, that was really lucky," Kyu said as he and Megu walked back to the beach house. "Asano-san was nice to tell us all that stuff." 

"At least we know more about the usual happenings in this club. But it seems almost spooky to think that someone's been getting past them, Asano-san and Sakagami-san, I mean," Megu said thoughtfully. "They both seem to be working really hard to keep the threats from coming true and here they are with one horse missing."

"Asano-san looks really capable of his work," Kyu mused. "I find it really weird that he'd just fall asleep randomly. He doesn't seem that irresponsible, and he loves the horses. And suddenly during one of his "accidental" naps a horse went missing, like it was coincidence."

"You said earlier that he might have been sedated that night," Megu told him. "What else is going through your mind?"

"Well, I'm thinking about all those other times that Asano-san fell asleep on the job," Kyu explained. "Maybe he was sedated during those times too. And someone could have been doing things in the stable during those times, things that I don't think even he would have noticed."

"So you're saying that someone's been setting him up long before this, in order to make him a scapegoat?" Megu seemed shocked. "That's really…well planned, I'd say. It's like someone's been thinking really hard about this."

"Megu, I think there's something else behind all this," Kyu said seriously. "Something beyond just stealing horses. No, there's got to be another reason why these threats are coming, and why they seem to out to get this club."

"But, Kyu…" Megumi said softly. "What do you think it is? How bad do you think this is going to be?"

"I don't know. I'm still not even sure if it's a true inside job, or if some outsider's paying someone inside to work for him. In any case, we'd better get back to the others, Megu. They'll be pretty interested to know all this."

* * *

Back at the beach house, Ryu was staring in surprise at Shizuko. "You owe him your life? What makes you say that?" 

"Oh, fine, maybe not entirely my life, but a piece of it, anyway. He exaggerates," Shizuko muttered, waving a hand carelessly. "The point is, I don't think he'll be too excited to help out our side."

"You don't think he could be doing all these things, could you?"

"Nah. These things aren't his type. He's petty, immature and childish. He'd steal a lady's purse for the money, he'd set up your door to let loose a bucket of water just to annoy you, he'd even sprinkle pepper on your pie just to give you a shock, but I don't think he'd be the type to send threats to an important business partner of his father's, and steal horses. Besides," Shizuko said with a snort, "He's not very good with animals. The horse'd probably trample him in half a second if he tried."

She sighed. "Believe it or not, I'd vouch for his innocence in half a second for this type of crime."

"So you were that close?"

"Depends if your definition of 'close' is 'calling someone a traitor and then saving said person's life only to use it against them in a sticky situation', then yes, maybe." Shizuko rolled her eyes. "God, I still need to kick his butt."

"This coming from someone who seemed terrified when she first saw him."

"Oh, give me a few seconds to get over the shock and I'll have his head on a platter, deep fried, with seven spices, before you can even say '_Itadakimasu!'_."

Ryu laughed lightly. "You seem to be feeling better. Your sarcastic streak is showing."

Shizuko elbowed him in the ribs. "_Baka._ That is not a good basis for assuming I'm feeling better." But she smiled.

He shrugged. "Well, if you say so." He looked out over the railing. "Kyu and Meg are back. They look like they've got news."

Shizuko leaned out as well. "Hmm, looks like it. Let's go."

* * *

**Rants: **…Well. This is the first time I've come out with another chapter so quickly. I hope I can get another couple of chapters out before sembreak is over. 

I know Kenichi's getting a really bad rap so far, as I can see in the comments people have been making about him. Oh, don't be so narrow-minded.

He gets worse. XD

No, I'm kidding. Just hope he gets more of an appearance in the next chapters.

That being said, **PLEASE REVIEW!** And thanks for your support!


	9. Who stole what, I wonder

**Sorry about the long wait (again). College and life sucks.**

**EDIT: I wasn't aware that my Chapter 9 had accidentally been deleted! i must have done something wrong. I've re-uploaded the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Who stole what, I wonder**

"I see."

Ryu looked at Kyu and Megu, who were sitting unhappily on the couch. "That's quite a theory."

"But it's still a theory," groaned Kyu. "We haven't got any proof."

"That's right," Megumi added. "And we can't just demand that Asano-san undergo medical tests from out of the blue, not without revealing our identities as members of DDS."

The rest of the DDS members looked just as troubled by the new information. Ryu had not even bothered to sit down, preferring to simply stand by the coffee table as he questioned Kyu and Megu further about what the accused stable boy had said. Kinta, while lounging on a cushy armchair, looked visibly agitated, his brows knitting together in an effort to think. Kazuma was recording all the new data into his laptop, his glasses slowly sliding down his nose as he hunched slightly over the keyboard.

Shizuko, who had taken over another armchair, rested her chin in her palm thoughtfully. "For something that happened in an important establishment, I'm surprised the police didn't take all possibilities into account."

"They probably just wanted the case to be over as quickly as possible," muttered Kinta, crossing his arms in annoyance. "Incompetent little…" he continued to say under his breath.

"Do you think we should just wait for something to happen?" Kazuma asked. "The way we're headed, we're still in almost the same boat as the police."

"We're only lucky that nothing seriously life-threatening has happened yet. There's a chance that the missing horse can be recovered. However, I'm hoping that the culprit doesn't try anything drastic," Ryu said, looking at Kyu and Megu. "The way things are going; do you think the owner's life is in danger?"

"No way," Kazuma scoffed. "It looks to me that they want the club closed, not the owner killed. Maybe the culprit knows the owner personally."

"Okay, so they want the club closed, but for what reason?" Megu asked, leaning back on the couch she and Kyu were sitting on.

"That's probably the most important question right now," Kyu agreed. "Why would they even want this place closed down? It seems like a lot of bother to me, after all the hard work put into this."

"Personal vendetta?" Shizuko suggested.

"Jealousy?" Megu proposed.

"Business rivalry?" Kazuma said with a shrug.

"Sick of it all?" Kinta put in.

"That's probably just you, Kinta," Shizuko sighed.

"Maybe we should stick to 'personal vendetta' and 'business rivalry'…" Ryu said.

"Maybe I can get a good start on 'personal vendetta'," Kazuma suddenly said. He began typing furiously on his computer. "I'm sure even a high-class place like this has had a couple of issues in the past. Maybe searching the news and articles could help. There could even be really old issues between business partners that just got carried over, so I'll do more research on the owners."

"Excellent, Kazuma," Shizuko grinned. "What would we do without you?"

"Well, I am a genius, after all," Kazuma said smugly.

"Brat," Kinta said, pulling the younger boy's hat over his eyes.

"KINTA!" The young "genius" screeched, trying to adjust his hat again.

Shizuko proceeded to peek at Kazuma's laptop screen, craning her neck so that her head was hanging upside down in front of the screen. "Hmm, interesting."

"What is it?" Ryu asked.

"I see a bunch of sites dedicated to pet ownership. Hmm, 'How to Teach your Dog to Use a Computer', 'Is Your Dog Technology-compatible?', 'My Dog peed on my Laptop'…"

Class Q erupted into peals of laughter. Ryu simply chuckled behind his fist in an attempt to stay polite.

"That's a lie!" Kazuma protested, finally getting his hat off and glaring at Kinta. "This is all your fault."

"I wasn't the one who said it," Kinta said, raising his hands feebly in a gesture of mock surrender.

"Well, I wasn't lying about the pet ownership sites," Shizuko grinned.

"Glad to see I have such good friends," Kazuma said sarcastically.

* * *

"Your little computer genius does have good friends," A sly voice spoke out of the shadows later that evening as Shizuko stepped onto the front porch to relax on the swing. "I'm sure a good thief comes in very handy indeed."

Needless to say, Shizuko stiffened. "Senpai?"

A tuft of white-blond hair appeared mockingly around the corner of the house, followed by a smirking face.

Fujiwara Kenichi had made yet another appearance.

Shizuko glared at him, then looked into the window to check of any of the Class Q members were within earshot. Finding them all preoccupied, she turned to face him again.

"You were listening to us?" She hissed at him, trying to keep her volume as low as possible in order anyone else from overhearing.

"It's difficult not to when you're in the neighborhood," he said innocently.

"Liar. We kept the windows closed. You were spying on us."

"And if I was?"

"You…That's not very polite." Shizuko argued lamely.

"I am far from polite, Shizuko-chan. Politeness and I are about a hundred miles apart."

"So I can see. I wish it were the case with me."

"You hurt me, princess."

"The feeling's mutual."

Kenichi leaned carefully on the opposite end of the porch swing. "What will it take for you to admit the truth to your new friends?"

"And ruin what I've tried so hard not to reveal? Kenichi-senpai, you ask the impossible."

"Am I to assume you haven't stolen a thing from anyone since you broke ties with our little gang?"

"I wasn't the only thief in the gang. So were you, remember?"

"But you could almost literally get into anything."

"You too, senpai."

"Hmm, fine, I'll take that as a compliment. Not that I needed it, I know I am one hell of an incredible being."

"Arrogant ba—"

"You don't want to finish that word," Kenichi grinned.

Shizuko shut her mouth.

"So, my little princess of thieves, I'm here to extend my offer of help yet again. Same price."

"No discount? I'm sure old goods put back on the market are supposed to have discount prices."

"Clever retort, but there won't be any haggling when Fujiwara Kenichi is salesman."

"Any reason why I should buy your product?"

"Reliability, a detailed user manual of inside information and a lifetime warranty?"

"Not when said life is short." Shizuko rolled her eyes.

"I happen to have a very long life line," Kenichi said, opening his palm to her. "You said so yourself years ago."

Shizuko's eyes raked along the crisscross lines on his palm, sighing heavily as she continued to stare all the way to his long, slender fingers. "I do remember that."

"Come on, Shizuko. What can one, little, innocent kiss hurt?"

"My pride and my dignity?"

"You used to kiss me shamelessly before."

"I was young. And stupid," she muttered exasperatedly. "I only kissed you on the cheek, idiot. Besides, if I ever gave you the smallest chance, you'd take advantage of it to a very high level."

"You were a very adorable child, now that I remember," Kenichi chuckled.

"Just because you are two years older than me does not make me a child compared to you. And you acted more childishly than I ever did."

"You didn't have to play the mother."

"Do you think we could have stayed in school that long if I hadn't taken charge?"

"We nearly got exposed in the very end, Shizuko-chan. All because you pulled that alarm."

"Serves you right. You shouldn't have attempted to—"

"Shizuko-san?" Ryu's voice called from inside the house. "Where are you?"

She turned to look briefly through the window. "I'll be right in," she replied, a little tense. "I just…needed some air," she finished lamely.

Looking back at Kenichi, she hissed, "You'd better get out of here before someone sees you. Then I'll be in trouble."

"Is it because of him that you won't kiss me?"

Shizuko looked startled. "What?"

"That boy. I remember that voice. He was the one you tossed the handbag to when you took it from me." Kenichi's frown deepened. "Does he have your heart?"

"Don't talk about such things," Shizuko said, sidestepping the topic.

"Or…do you have his?"

"He's just a classmate."

"Haven't stolen a thing since you left us, eh? You steal things without meaning to."

"What are you talking about?"

He reached out and wrapped his long fingers around her slender wrist. Before she could struggle, he pulled her hand towards him and kissed it.

"It looks like you've been stealing people's hearts wherever you go, princess."

* * *

"That is not true," Shizuko muttered irritably as she entered the house. "That arrogant little…"

She made a violent gesture with her hands reminiscent of wringing someone's neck.

"Something wrong?" Ryu met her at the kitchen doorway, locking the back door and about to switch off the lights for the evening.

Shizuko massaged her forehead with her right hand, while forcibly securing their front door with the variety of bolts on it using her left. "Nothing, really."

Her fingers slipped on the dead bolt, and the chain slipped from her grasp. Ryu heard a curse dart past her lips.

"You look very much stressed out."

She sighed, heavily. "Is everyone else upstairs?"

"Yes. They're almost ready for bed. If you want to avoid suspicion perhaps you should go up as well."

Shizuko suddenly let a breath out of her nose, then chuckled weakly, in a way that made her seem as though she was convincing herself of something. "Impossible," she muttered. "How can he come to such a conclusion after seeing us only once in the street?"

"I believe I'm missing a few details here." Ryu said, furrowing his brows at her. "What happened outside? I doubt you were just there for fresh air."

"No, it's nothing," Shizuko replied. "I'm going upstairs, Ryu-kun."

Ryu stared at her back as she ascended the stairs to the second floor. Her footsteps were slightly heavier than usual, making it obvious that something was once again weighing on the girl's mind. He then stared out the window, trying to figure out what had made Shizuko so tense. Going outside for fresh air was an excuse not typical of her.

Something rustled in the bushes outside, and the sound of shifting sand and footsteps followed. On the alert, Ryu unbolted the front door and looked outside. However, in his hurry, he had been a bit too noisy, and whoever was outside quickly picked up his speed.

All Ryu saw outside was a tall figure running away from the beach, white-blond hair glistening in the moonlight.

And if he wasn't mistaken, a familiar flash of a dangling earring glinted in the light of the moon.

* * *

**Rants:** okay, I know it took a long time to update this chapter. Please forgive me, I had exams, and I was doing pretty badly the semester before this one. I hope you understand that I had to focus all my energies into studying.

That being said, PLEASE REVIEW! I'll try to come out with the next chapter more quickly, because I'm on summer vacation.


	10. So it Begins

I have no excuses.

I spent two years, on ONE chapter. One.

I need to work. Seriously.

There is nothing more I can say except sorry, and I hope you enjoy this chapter that sat in my computer for ages, slowly getting updated bit by bit by bit.

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q.**

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* * *

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**Chapter 10: So it Begins**

Ryu pounded on Shizuko's door at first, but then lowered it to a reasonable knock. He tapped his foot impatiently as he heard the girl mumble a reply that sounded a lot like, "I'm coming, darn it…"

Shizuko opened the door, glaring at him. "What is it? In case you haven't noticed, it is—" Shizuko checked her watch. "—eleven o'clock in the evening."

"You lied to me."

"About what?"

"What happened outside?"

"Nothing. I needed air."

"The truth, _Miyahara-kun_."

Shizuko felt herself recoil. Ryu had not called her Miyahara-kun in a long while. And judging by the serious glare at her, he meant business.

"What do you know already, _Amakusa-kun_?" she shot back.

"I saw someone outside."

Her eyes widened.

"So it _is_ someone you know." Ryu sighed. "It doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

"So typical of Amakusa-_sensei_," Shizuko said, rolling her eyes.

"I want _answers_, RIGHT N—" Ryu got cut off as Shizuko slapped her hand over his mouth.

"Eleven-oh-three in the evening. Class Q. Asleep. Your voice. Loud." Shizuko hissed through gritted teeth. "Get in here."

Without waiting for Ryu to answer, she pulled him inside her room and closed the door.

Ryu found himself slammed into Shizuko's desk chair rather forcefully. He mentally thanked the rich club for giving the chair a fairly good cushion.

"You saw him?" She said rather hysterically. "I told him to leave ASAP!"

"Shizuko-san, you have a lot of explaining to do. And I think it's time you let Class Q know—" He found himself gripped rather firmly by his shirt front. His eyes widened as Shizuko pulled him towards her.

"Ryu-kun, no! I don't want anyone to know I'm involved with someone from the case. It's bound to cloud their thoughts about my decisions."

"But aren't your decisions affected already?"

"Nothing's wrong with my sense of judgment. Rest assured that if he _does_ have something to do with the case, I'm not there to protect or defend him."

He sighed heavily. "This changes nothing, though. We have a case here, Shizuko-san, and frankly, your issues are not helping."

"I promise to settle my problems as quickly and as painlessly as possible. Allow my past to remain unknown for a while. I am not ready to reveal this much to Class Q, all at once." She loosened her hold on his shirt front, and Ryu tried to smooth out the creases that her hands had left behind.

"I am still curious as to his agenda earlier this evening," he continued in a more businesslike tone. He raised a cool gaze at her. "This didn't have anything to do with what he asked of you this morning, did it?"

For some reason, Shizuko flushed. Ryu only raised his eyebrows at her, as if to say, _"Well?"_

". . . "

"_Miyahara-kun_." She could _hear_ the frown behind his words. The girl gritted her teeth and whipped her head around to face him.

"You two were that close, so why refuse him now, Shizuko-san?"

"I swore to leave my past behind, Ryu-kun. Fujiwara Kenichi is part of it. I got so far along in my dreams by walking away from him, so I will be glad enough to keep walking away. I don't want to go back."

* * *

Ryu mulled over his thoughts the next morning. Judging by Shizuko's apparent dislike for Fujiwara Kenichi, he was someone to stay away from. But at the same time, he couldn't help feeling curious. It was another mystery he had on his hands, all right, and he was already grateful that he had just been granted access, in a sense. Perhaps he could look up information on his own. However, if Kazuma couldn't find information on the younger Fujiwara, he wasn't sure whether there was much hope. Abandoning the idea for the meantime, he descended the staircase leading to the lower floor.

When he got downstairs to meet with the others in order to go to the main building for breakfast, he was met with a bunch of very annoyed faces.

Kinta, Kazuma and Megumi were sitting around the kitchen table. Kinta was looking murderous. Kazuma, as usual, looked uninterested in the killing aura. Megumi was looking from one to the other nervously.

"…What's happened?" he asked Kinta, who already had several veins threatening to pop at his temple.

"What's happened?! I'll tell you what's happened!" Kinta bellowed, banging his fist on the table. "Some punk put a bunch of itchy leaves in my bed!"

"Itchy leaves…?"

"I think it's poison ivy," remarked Kazuma, looking bored.  
"Of course you know it's poison ivy, you did it!" Kinta continued to yell, pointing directly at the younger boy.

"What do you mean that I 'did it', I never went near your pigsty of a bedroom, you—"

"Who's got a pigsty bedroom?"

Megumi covered her ears, wincing. "You can always go to the infirmary, Kinta."

"I'm not exposing my—"

"…oh, so it's in an area you don't normally reveal to the public, eh?" a slightly dazed voice mumbled from the doorway.

Everyone turned to look at Shizuko, who evidently had just woken up and was just about finished dressing. She was doing the last couple of buttons on her cardigan and looking at everyone with a mildly bemused expression. "What's going on?"

"Someone put poison ivy in Kinta's bed," Megumi supplied.

Ryu shook his head. "It can't be poison ivy. It only grows in North America."

"He's right," Shizuko added. "Kinta, was there anything else in your bed aside from leaves?"

"A couple of branches," he muttered. "It was kind of sticky under the sheets though…"

Shizuko shuddered. "You're sure you're not sticky from…" Her face contorted into a slightly sickened expression.

Kinta looked ready to burst again, though this time from embarrassment. "NO!"

Megu pushed him back into his seat gently. "Relax, Kinta." She turned to the other girl. "What do you think it could be?"

"Something similar to the poison ivy," Shizuko replied. "Have you ever heard of the Japanese Lacquer tree?"

"You mean the tree which sap is used for lacquerware?" Ryu nodded. "Yes, I've heard of it."

"The tree sap contains an allergenic compound," Kazuma said. "It's all right here. Pretty strong stuff."

"It could be the substance found in Kinta's bed," Shizuko continued. "Kinta, maybe you really should go to the infirmary."

"How do you know this?" Megumi asked. "Don't tell me you used to work with trees."

"No, I didn't, but I did do research about poisons and irritating substances at one time," Shizuko said. "My grandfather's files were extensive."

"Your grandfather?" Megumi asked.

"Yeah. He was a criminal investigator back in New York, didn't I ever tell you guys?" she replied, surprised.

"Oh. That explains a lot."

"Yeah." Shizuko shrugged it off. "Well, I'm hoping that this is just some random—"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Everyone looked around. "What was _that_?"

Kyu ran out of the bathroom clad in several towels. "What's _this_?"

Megumi covered her mouth and tried her hardest not to laugh.

The rest of class Q (save for Ryu, as usual) started laughing. The reason?

Kyu's hair had been dyed a magnificently bright shade of _PINK_.

He could actually almost match Megumi's hair.

"Come on guys, it's not THAT funny!" Kyu flailed his arms around slightly. "What am I going to do?"

"I think everyone else's shampoo was safe," Ryu said, now trying hard to keep a straight face. "Maybe you should borrow some other shampoo."

"Yeah, I'm sure that rinses out, Kyu," Shizuko added between giggles.

Kyu retreated to the bathroom, his ears looking almost as pink as his hair.

* * *

As amusing as the morning's events were, Shizuko was secretly not happy about it, and Ryu could see that. He thought about it as he started picking out his choices from the morning buffet. Kinta, of course, had been sent to the infirmary, but only after Shizuko had convinced him that there was probably an attractive lady nurse who could help him.

He mulled things over. He could only deduce that there was only one person behind both tricks, and that was Fujiwara Kenichi. He wondered to himself whether to tell Class Q or not about the connection between their classmate and the boy, but decided against it for the time being. Perhaps after some time in the club, it would then become _necessary_ to actually be acquainted with the blonde punk.

His thoughts were interrupted by Kyu, whose hair was now very much free of any trace of pink. "What do you think we should be up to today, Ryu?" he asked. "We don't have much to go on."

"That's true," Ryu agreed. "While your theories regarding Asano-san, the stable boy, are useful, we can't seem to get the investigation going due to lack of information."

"The club members Kazuma found may all be suspects, but unless we can narrow them down, we're lost," Megumi admitted. "There's got to be something better we can do."

Shizuko seemed thoughtful. "We don't know much about horses."

"Well, there's a useful thought," Kazuma said sarcastically.

"No, really, think about it," Kyu said, understanding. "We've never really thought of how horses by themselves could affect this case."

"What are you suggesting, Kyu, that we go ride horses?" Megumi asked.  
"Yeah! And anyway, it'd be fun!"

"…I knew it," Kazuma muttered.

"Come on, he does have a point," Ryu said.

"Ever the considerate one, Ryu-kun," Shizuko said. "But I say why not? It's probably a good idea to go once Kinta's back from the infirmary."

"And it'll give us a good opportunity to see Asano-san again," Megumi added. "I say we go. Then you guys can all meet him."

They headed for the stables soon after breakfast. Kinta hadn't taken long at the infirmary—apparently a pretty female nurse hadn't been available, so he had been tended to by a male doctor. They snickered among themselves as they arrived at the area, Asano waving a hand enthusiastically at Kyu and Meg as they neared him.

"So these are your friends, huh?" Asano said when everyone had caught up.

Kyu grinned. "Yeah. We want to try going for a ride at least once here."

"Nice to see you all. Asano Hisashi, at your service. First off, have any of you ever ridden a horse before?" He asked, looking all of them over.

"I have," Shizuko replied. "My grandfather made me take riding lessons."

"Ah, good, at least you can help the others as well. We'll get started as soon as we—"

The thump of riding boots on dirt brought everyone's attention to the person who had suddenly arrived. Megumi bristled ever so slightly. It was Jeppensha Eriko, the red-headed girl from the day before. She took no notice of the tension in the air and went right into the stables.

"Good morning, Ojosama," Asano greeted her politely as she passed.

Eriko, who seemed mildly irritated, stopped and waved off the greeting. "Good morning, Asano-san. Can I get my usual horse this morning?"

"Yes. You need me to saddle and prepare him for you?"

"No need, I can do that myself," She replied rather quickly. "Thank you."

She went into the further areas of the stables and disappeared among the stalls in a matter of minutes.

Asano shrugged off the briskness of their conversation and went back to speaking to Class Q. "Anyway, we'll get started as soon as we pick out your horses. Of course, none of you can ride on the show horses, but some horses towards the middle should be good enough for beginners, and they're mighty friendly. Come on, I'll show you around."

He led them inside, explaining about each horse as he passed. "Some of them have English names; some have Japanese, depending on who sold them to us. Some of these were bred from horses sent over to us, from Europe and America. They do a lot of trade anyway, and sometimes even horses from the Middle East get here. We even have miniature horses," he said, pointing to a distant stall where distinctly smaller horses were kept. "They have horse shows too, but they're not strong enough to carry riders—older riders, I mean—over long distances. They're led over obstacles and stuff by their trainers."

"I never knew there was so much to learn about horses," Kinta said.

"Oh, taking care of them is a serious business. Trust me, it took a while before everything started to come naturally. Horses in general tend to be a little frisky, but once they know you, you'll get along just fine. Just don't do anything stupid like pull out their hairs or stay near them with sharp things."

As they walked through the stables, they met Eriko going in the opposite direction, leading a saddled and bridled horse. Without giving them any attention, she continued moving, leading her horse out into the open and riding it as soon as she got out.

Asano led them to some stalls, where some horses were actually already saddled and bridled as well.

"Well this will be more convenient," Asano said, making his way towards the animals. "I'm gonna show you anyway how to saddle and bridle them yourselves, so that you guys won't have to ask me so often." He grinned. "It really pays to know, so here's a crash course."

Within a few minutes, Class Q had learned how to properly fold a horse blanket, set the saddle on their horses, and attach the bridles to the horse's muzzle. The basics at least.

"Now, you have to know that the proper bridle is important for each and every horse," Asano warned. "The bridles have different bits depending on the horse. The wrong bridle on a show horse can change how you control it. Anyway, I won't pressure you any further, so let's lead these babies out into the wide open air and take a ride!"

It became obvious that not everyone in Class Q was up for horseback riding. Shizuko, of course, didn't have much of a problem, but Kyu was one overexcited little boy. He'd barely gotten on his horse before falling off it. Ryu, of course, took it all in stride, and soon enough, he was sitting atop his horse quite comfortably. Kinta didn't have too difficult a time getting up on the horse, nor did he have trouble keeping his balance, but he had to watch out at least for Kazuma, who, being too short, had needed help mounting, even though his horse was slightly smaller than the others.

That just left Megumi, who was thankfully wearing pants that day. Her horse, while friendly, didn't seem to take to being ridden quite so well. As soon as she got on the horse, however, trouble began.

She applied the slightest weight on the saddle, and suddenly, the horse brayed! It threw its front legs into the air and began neighing wildly.

Megumi screamed and instinctively held on to the horse's neck, clutching on for dear life.

"Down, Shiro, down!" Asano called to the horse, trying to reach for the horse's reins, but the animal wildly swung its head away from Asano and bolted away, taking a frightened Megumi with him.

"Pull on the reins, girl!" Asano yelled after her.

"It's not working!" Megu called back at the stableboy.

"Megu!" Kyu yelled, trying to steer his horse towards the fleeing one. Unfortunately, his efforts were useless—while his horse was reacting, it did not seem to want to pursue the other horse. Megumi was already starting to get further away from them, and the horse was going in a wild zigzag towards the forest nearby. Asano cursed under his breath and swung himself onto his horse in one smooth motion. "Hang on tight there!"

"Shizuko-san, what are you doing?" Ryu's voice suddenly rang out.

As the rest of Class Q turned to look, Shizuko had already whipped her horse into a gallop and was hot on Megumi's trail. Asano, of course, had flicked his own reins and set off after the two girls.

Megumi was screaming as the horse wildly tried to toss her off, yet continued to gallop at the same time. Her arms were clinging around the horse's neck, no longer trying to control the animal, but holding on for dear life and trying not to fall out of the saddle.

Meanwhile, Shizuko had caught up to Megumi, Asano following very keenly behind her. She reached Megumi's side first, and galloped next to the horse's right side. She yelled in order to be heard over the pounding of hooves. "Are the reins working?"

"I pulled on them several times, but it's not working!" Megumi yelled back. "Something's wrong!"

"Hold on!" Shizuko reached forward with her left hand, and held on to her own reins with her right. "I can't swing you off that horse, but try not to apply pressure on the saddle!"

The reins were swinging back and forth from the horse's mouth. Shizuko took a swing at the reins, but missed. However, she attempted a second time, risking a fall out of her own saddle, but as soon as she felt the leather straps in her palm, she grasped and pulled both Megumi's and her reins at the same time, as strongly as possible.

Megumi's horse seemed to protest, but slowed and stopped after a few meters, still neighing in irritation.

Luckily, Shizuko's horse stopped at the merest pull, and slowed as well. Both horses had reached a full stop when Asano had arrived, looking breathless. "You…crazy…girl…" he said, addressing Shizuko.

"Sorry," she replied, looking ever so slightly sheepish.

"Get off that horse," he instructed Megumi quickly. "Something's up."

Without further objection, Megumi scrambled off the horse, perhaps a little more roughly than she had meant to, because it gave a frustrated neigh. Asano came closer to the horse, speaking soothing words and stroking its mane while checking the saddle and underneath it. He eased the saddle off the horse and lifted the blanket. To their surprise, there was a burr under the blanket!

"Who saddled this horse without checking the blanket?" Asano wondered out loud. "I know there are Agrimony plants around this area but why would someone intentionally place one of the barbed seeds underneath a horse's blanket?"

"Maybe they wanted someone to get hurt," Shizuko said darkly. Asano shook his head. "This is just a disgrace. I at least hope that this is just a one-time prank. I'll do a check on all the horse blankets later."

"I wonder if that girl earlier had something to do with it," Megumi mumbled, still slightly shaken.

"Who, Jeppensha Eriko?" Asano said, giving them a look of surprise. "You seen or encountered her before?"

"She tossed oatmeal on Megumi once," Shizuko said.

"What? Why didn't you say so?"

"We didn't want to cause trouble," Megu said meekly.

"And besides, there was no way of telling in advance what horse Megumi would be riding," Shizuko said, getting off her own horse. "It could still be anyone."

"This is still important. I'll report this to Sakagami-sama right away. I'll have to inspect the horses tonight."

"Asano-san, look at this," Shizuko said. She had come closer to Megumi's horse and was looking at the bridle. "Megumi said she was pulling on the reins but it didn't work. Does it have nothing to do with the bit on the bridle? I can't tell them apart, so—"

"This isn't Shiro's bit," Asano said suddenly, interrupting her sentence. "That's not…This is a snaffle. Shiro always uses a curb bit because he has a strong mouth."

Megumi looked stunned.

"This is more than just an accident, this is sabotage," Asano let out a snarl. "They won't get away with this. I'm not sleeping a wink tonight!"

* * *

"So that's what happened," Kyu said later, once Megumi had told her story. "You're lucky you weren't thrown! Two things out of place on one horse…"

"Even then—Shizuko-san! That was a reckless move," Ryu reprimanded. "You're lucky you didn't fall, or worse!"

Shizuko only looked mildly put out. "What does it matter how reckless the move was as long as it got the job done?"

"It matters," Ryu said fiercely. "Do you think Principal Dan would appreciate it if one of his students suffered an accident?"

Shizuko opened her mouth to protest, but Kinta clapped a hand on her shoulder. "He's right. While you're lucky you weren't hurt, it might not be next time. All of us can attest to that."

Shizuko slumped. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I thought I could do something, so I did."

Kinta interrupted before Ryu could open his mouth to say something in response. "What's important right now is that everything is fine."

"Yeah. We've got a lot of work ahead of us, so doing it is a better idea," Kyu added. "Still though, this is one bad morning."

It was indeed one of the worst mornings that Class Q had ever gone through. In between pranks, stress and horseback accidents, it was no wonder that they were grateful for the setting of the sun. They all sat down on the beach sand while Kinta attempted to teach Kyu how to skip rocks on the ocean surface.

Thankfully, they hadn't encountered any other problems after the riding fiasco, even though they had to carefully tread around the regular clients staying at the hotel. They had actually come across the other girl at the club that Kazuma had researched—Alexandra Swift. However, there was nothing they could find that could connect her to the disappearing horses, and that put them quite at a dead end.

Sadly, the next morning could only get worse. The absence of clues wouldn't be their only problem in the case, and the pranks wouldn't be their only source of stress.

Things were about to get rather tricky around the polo club, in more ways than one.

* * *

**Rants:** I know. It's been a long time. I'm sorry.

I cannot make excuses for myself, so I will just apologize.

And hope that the next chapter will NOT take two years. Or more.

Reviews are appreciated, and reprimands accepted.


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